Return of the Explorers
by Skitty The Fanfiction Writer
Summary: The Pokémon world is broken, possibly beyond repair. Its realms are in ruin, the bloodline of legends has nearly run dry, and the monarch ruling it all would rather promote destruction than foster change. What can this exploring trio and their allies do to fix this mess? A Pokémon Mystery Dungeon AU.
1. 1: Danger

Chapter 1: Danger

"Wake up wake up wake up! Please hurry and wake up!" A frantic voice cries as I regain consciousness. I keep my eyes closed though. Something feels off about this. Things begin to come clear though. In fact, it's obvious what's wrong.

The person speaking isn't Sis. And my legs feel off, but that's beside the point. What on earth is going on?

"Arceus," The person swears under its breath. This confuses me even more. Why would a Pokémon fan want to wake me up? I don't like where this is going.

"Come on come on come on!" the voice shouts once more, shaking my shoulder furiously. This scares me even more, so I remain silent.

The shacking stops suddenly. "I can tell that you're conscious, so can you please get up? Your life is sort of on the line here."

With that, I jump up instantly. I try to land on my feet, but I can't hold the position long enough. I yelp and fall back down.

The first thing I can see is gray landscape. Lots of gray landscape. In fact, it just looks depressing. It seems familiar, and that fills me with a sense of dread.

"Um, use all four appendages. Not just the two hind ones," The voice tells me. The advice registers, the pieces starting to click together in my head. I don't like this one bit. I turn around to address the voice, hoping my suspicions aren't correct.

The voice was apparently a pikachu, confirming my suspicions. It's a he, according to his tail, but his coloring is slightly off. He's not a shiny sprite, but he has a very noticeable trait.

It's the eyes. Just pupils and irises. Red irises that is. And those red irises are looking directly at me.

"AHHHH…hhhh?" I begin to scream, but try (and fail) to transition to confusion when I realize I shouldn't be screaming at the first Pokémon I meet. Explaining I'm human is not something I want to do.

The pikachu's ear twitches as his head tilts. "Ahhhh?" he replies back, seemingly even more confused than I am. Well, that was unexpected.

I quickly come up with an excuse. "Um, sorry! The uh…eye color caught me off guard!" I blurt out. In truth, that excuse sounded more believable in my head, which had less stuttering.

The pikachu mutters under his breath in response. "Uh, sorry. I didn't quite catch that." I say in the most polite voice I can. After all, I need to figure out what's up with this place, and why I'm here.

"I said 'Of course. Everyone always looks at the eye color,' human." He responds, a noticeable bitterness in his voice. I guess that was a touchy topic or something. And he just called me human, didn't he? Oh great.

I hear a distant sound. I can't quite make out what it is though. "Arceus! I'm running out of time here!" The pikachu shouts, his voice frantic and nervous. He picks up something black from the stone gray ground and shoves it at me. I realize it is a cloth of some sorts.

"Hold this. Please trust me here. I don't have much time left before he comes!" The mouse instructs me. Reality just begins to register in my head besides fright, and questions pour into my mind.

"Wait a minute. Who are you, and how do you know I'm human?!" I shout furiously. I instinctively try to stand up on my feet, but fall back down again.

"I'll answer later. Just trust me on this, okay?" He replies. "Try to hide or something before he…"

"CONVERSING WITH THE HUMAN ENEMY, I SEE!" The pikachu is interrupted, his ears drooping and shoulders tensing at the sound of the voice. I freeze as well. I turn to the other voice, registering the fact that the scenery isn't just gray.

I'm actually sitting in a field of grass wide out in the open (besides a few giant rocks). It actually would have been considered nice if not for the grayness of it all. The fact that the wind hasn't blown yet makes it even more eerie. Just beyond the field is a small dip. It's apparently a small hill. Not of overly noticeable size or anything like that.

I can see a dreary forest beyond the grass, seemingly almost haunted with its bland color scheme. Beyond that are even more fields like this one. In fact, they seem almost identical. Beyond the fields the scenery begins to vary.

To the left are what I believe to be coastal areas, with a fair share of caves that stretch to the center of my vision. Beyond those caves the area appears to split, with widespread deserts on the left (I believe there is a volcanic island further left), and caves on the right. I think I even see a floating tower beyond the cave areas, however it seems nearly in ruins. If it's a tower, it looks like a chunk of it is missing from the top.

To the right, the background is more simplistic. The caves lead to mountains near the center of my vision, and there are forest areas further left. Far to the right, I think I can see another island, but I can't tell what it is.

I process the scenery. The mountains, deserts, islands, forests, caves, and fields. A chill crawls up my spine. The land feels familiar, as if I've only walked through it at a different angle. It could easily be a layout for one of those Pokémon games I've played.

Is this the only familiar scene? Are there landscapes similar to other games? If so, will there be something like those separate islands in that super game. I just hope my memory doesn't get erased if any time travel is involved. That wouldn't be swell for the health, or the chances of success if things play out like the explorers games.

The ground shakes under my feet. I hug the leather thing as if it were a pillow out of fright. I quickly loosen my grip when I realize how that won't help. My eyes widen as the shouting Pokémon comes into view.

It's an aggron, and a large one at that. "YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO LACKEY!" He shouts, clearly pissed. This won't end well.

Day one, and I'm already screwed!


	2. 2: Foiled

Chapter 2: Foiled

I stare up at the aggron, both of us silently challenging each other. Instinct takes over. I'm obviously used to stuff like this. I'm completely in my element in this situation: prelude to a battle. "No explanation needed sir," I address him. "I'm just revealing my loyalties."

The aggron's eyes dilate as I brand myself as a traitor to the monarch. It shouldn't be that huge of a surprise. It isn't like I actually agree with the Pokémon Queen's decision to condemn the human to death, and humans have a tendency to change this world. It's a given the human will gain allies automatically.

"YOU DARE SHOW YOURSELF AS A TRAITOR, MOUSE? PREPARE TO BE ELIMINATED!" the aggron retaliates.

Quick to battle (rash nature). Most likely confident at his victory. I'm certain I've dealt with those kinds of opponents before, but I'm not confident that I'll win this battle. I'm limited in my options at the moment. I'll need the human's assistance.

The human appears out of her element. I'm ignoring the fact that a Pokémon isn't her normal form. She's completely shaken by the volume of the aggron's words.

As for me, I am trying to piece things together still. I had a slight accident, and simply need to verify information I recently learned. This lands me in my current situation with collaborating with the human.

"Hey, human?" I attempt to catch the human's attention. Well, I technically shouldn't address her as such. She is at the moment a Pokémon. Zorua specifically. With maroon eyes. And she comments about mine catching her off-guard, the hypocrite.

Her ears twitch as she turns to face me. I can see the fear in her eyes. She doesn't want to face the aggron. And in her situation, who wouldn't? That fully evolved powerhouse is her enemy. I just hope she'll snap out of it before this fight gets serious.

"We're going to face off against this guy whether we like it or not, so we're going to have to collaborate here. What experience do you have in battle?" I ask. I need to know an allies experience, however temporary.

The human still appears frozen with fear. "A boss battle already? At such a high level?" I hear her mumble. I assume she doesn't have experience then. Arceus!

The aggron decides to begin the battle. He stomps his feet on the ground, creating a shockwave. I set my paws on the ground and cling to it. The human doesn't do so, and gets sent flying several feet, along with the cloth I handed her.

This battle has already started off on the wrong paw, and it's going to continue that way unless I do something. I doubt the human can.

I test the aggron's speed with a thundershock. Luckily, the blow lands. Unfortunately, he doesn't appear scratched. He grins smugly at me. "IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?!" he shouts.

I hold back a retort. Of course it wasn't my best, but I won't let him know that. Taunts give away information. He just used one of the most cliché taunts that exists. It shows his overconfidence in his abilities.

I was only testing to see if he could dodge easily. He didn't. Whether that was because of his attitude or his actual speed, there's the kink in his armor. Cockiness has its obvious drawbacks, but I know knowledge alone won't win this battle. I need the human's help on this one.

The aggron stomps on the ground, sending a shockwave once more. I prepare for it like last time, except he send another shockwave immediately afterwards. While I observed him, he did the same to me. He must of figured out that I loosen my grip after one shockwave so I can jump back up quickly afterwards. I get thrown like a ragdoll in the second shockwave.

My head lands itself hard against a nearby boulder. My vision blurs for a second, but I snap out of it. My head roars with pain, and it isn't the incident's fault anymore. Shame on me for letting my own guard down. That decision might just cost me my life.

I crumble to the ground. I lift both my paws in an attempt to raise the rest of my body, but they can't support the weight. That is not good.

I retaliate from the blast with the best thundershock I can muster. My cheeks practically burn as I tire from doing just that. I release my currently best move at the aggron.

Unfortunately for me, I miscalculated yet again. He must have realized that blast would hurt, and for once decides to be serious about addressing my attacks. He moves to the side with surprisingly fast speed for a Pokémon his weight and height, my thundershock passing through where he was a second ago.

I lose moral. After all, if I'm doing so poorly in battle now, what ever made me believe I could team up with the human out of her element and be able to beat this guy? Such a foolish assumption can easily end me right here and now.

I hear a groan behind me. I almost forgot about the human still being in the vicinity of this fight. How could the human be behind me though?

I realize that in order to make the second shockwave right after the first, the aggron sacrificed some of its power and impact in the process. The shockwave the human got hit by was at full force. She must have been knocked unconscious from the blast. Either that or just hiding after she realized how serious the battle was getting.

"Hey," I manage to say, but it comes out as a hoarse whisper. A sign of how drained I am from that shockwave. Note to self: I need to work on defense if I get out of this alive.

Despite the lack of volume of my words, the human hears. I hear paws padding against the stone gray field, and eventually the outline of the foxlike creature, my vision blurring as I focus on her.

That should not happen. My vision turns fuzzy suddenly, and I become very concerned. My head burns more furiously. I recognize the symptoms, mentally berating myself for being so careless.

"Poison," I mutter, my focus turning to keeping my breathing steady. This is bad, very bad. I know I won't be able to stay conscious much longer with whatever is affecting me stuck in my system, much less fight.

I hear a laugh from the aggron. "ENJOY MY TOXIC-INFUSED ROAR, LACKEY?" Infusing toxic with a move, an overused combo one should always anticipate. It gives its user a long-term battle edge, making its target suffer for their lack of caution. I should not have been so careless, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten myself into this situation.

"ENJOY YOUR LAST MOMENTS LACKEY, BECAUSE IT WON'T LAST LONG!" The aggron taunts once more, and there's nothing I can do about it. My thoughts turn more incoherent by the second. I can't even think of a mental retort.

Maybe I'll have enough time to convince the human to escape. To run as fast as she can, away from something that far outclasses her. Humans change this world. She's practically our only hope of this land ever being a happier place.

She must live, but I don't have enough time nor strength to speak.

"Stop this nonsense!" The human shouts back. "What you are doing, forcing one to suffer for their actions in such a painful manner? It's wrong!"

Such a naïve soul. Does she even realize the values of this world? Kill or be killed.

"I don't care who this pikachu turned traitor to. You can't justify such an action with torture!"

Ends justify means, however immoral.

"Where is your HUMANITY?!"

Nonexistent.


	3. 3: Sister

Chapter 3: Sister

I stare at my white paws, frozen in fright. Aw man, this better be just a really horrifyingly terrible nightmare. I mean, what other explanation is there for having paws and a long tail?

Dream. Yeah, that would sum up why I can't recall taking a nap or anything like that. But dreams normally don't feel this real. In fact, if you're in a dream and realize you're in a different form, you're cool with it. Ho boy, this isn't a dream, is it?

I feel a distant tremble, and hear an incoherent voice. I don't pay attention though. I have PAWS for crying out loud!

All I can say optimistically about this situation is that at least I have fluffy fur.

I try to keep my mind in check long enough to process exactly WHAT I am. I know I have four paws. How do you think I walked to this small lake I found? And how else do you think I realized that I don't look human?

Movement on ears. Way more movement on ears than before. Hay! This is cool. I can make these things twitch like crazy! Wait, no! Back to form here. There are fluffy white paws. Very fluffy.

NO MORE TANGENTS AYA!

I could always take another glimpse at my reflection in the lake. I still don't have the best of eyesight, so I didn't process much beyond the fact that my form isn't two-legged.

I glimpse at my reflection, leaning closer to get a better view. Hey! I look like a cat! Awesome, but wait, don't cats avoid water? I pull away from the pond.

Okay. So I look like a gray-blue cat with a long, fluffy tail. Two things I like about this situation: the first being about the fluffiness, the second being about looking like a cat. Tis an adequate nonhuman form!

Now, enough partying! I need to get back home. I have a little sister to…take…care…of…

OH MY GOSH! WHAT IF SHE CAME ALONG WITH ME TO…whatever this place is called. Well, I'm not at home anymore, so I'll call this place Oz until I find the official name. But Nova in Oz?! Oh man, I need to find her IMMEDIATELY if she's here!

Stay calm Aya! It's not like mom and dad totally won't freak out if they find out you and your little sister are lost in another dimension or something crazy like that.

Aya, stop lying to yourself like that. OF COURSE THEY'RE GOING TO FREAK OUT! Breathe. Breathe. Deep breaths. Now, if I was my little sis and wasn't human, what would I look like?

Most likely like that black and reddish fox thing that was unconscious ten feet away from me when I woke up.

…

Isn't that where all that distant shouting is coming from? And that tremble from earlier?

…

"NOVA!" I shout as loud as I could, racing towards the sound. Or that's what I wanted to happen. I forgot that since I was a cat, walking on two legs would be unstable. I fell down on the first step forward.

I sigh. "Four legs it is then," I grumble to myself, slowly getting up. It felt awkward, even more so than when I walked to find this lake. That might have been because I was crawling at the time. It's different compared to when your waist and head are further from the ground.

One foot forward Aya. One foot forward.

I hear another tremble, and boy is it powerful. I need to claw the ground to stay upright. That tremble is swiftly followed by another. I pick up the pace, wasting no time to stop and observe any nature (all I can see are blurs of gray anyway).

Then I hear a booming laugh. Someone shouts something about poison, and a lackey of some sorts. _Sis_ I think to myself, fearing the worst. _Hang in there! I'm coming._

I race up a small hill, figures coming closer into view. The first thing I see is some huge, gray, two-legged, three horned, t-rex guy. In armor! As if t-rexes weren't tough enough without armor!

Of to the side is some yellow mouse thing, who seems in pretty bad shape. Unconscious, and with dark splotches across his body (or is that supposed to look like that?). It seems familiar too. Now where have I seen that before?

What stands out most to me is the figure in the center, directly facing the armored t-rex. It's the strange fox thing I saw earlier. It's standing on two legs (lucky!) and seems to be holding something. I'm at a position on the field to where I can see the fox from a side view.

"Where is your HUMANITY?!" I freeze on the spot. That IS Nova's voice. And just to remove any doubt from my mind, its eyes are maroon. That has got to be my little sister!

All I can say is that I'm honestly not surprised. I remember back home, when Sis would always go draw characters from her video games.

" _What are you drawing Nova?" I asked to her._

 _The ten year old child looked up and beamed. "I'm drawing myself as a Pokémon!" She shouted, showing me the drawing. The figure in the drawing looked off, since the proportions were off a little. I noticed there were no colors left outside the outline. She must have worked hard on this one._

" _What an adorable fox thing!" I congratulated her._

" _It's a zorua! It can create illusions and hide really well!" She explained. "They normally have green blue eyes, but this one is reddish-brown!"_

" _And why's that?" I inquired in a cheerful tone._

" _Because it's me!"_

" _Well sis, I think it looks very lovely."_

I miss those times. Nova was such a sweetheart in elementary school, despite the blast she would always have during April Fools.

She looks so matured, scolding a giant t-rex about moral values.

"Uh, I mean you should really consider other people's health here, I guess?" Nova adds on after she finishes her speech. I sigh. Same old Sis.

I should probably let her know that I'm here.

"Nova!" I shout, running fast as I can towards her.

Her ears perk up as she turns towards me. "Sis? Is that really you?" she says.

"In the flesh. I mean fur." I respond back.

Sis practically beams at me, or at least I think she is. I can't tell her facial expression when I can't see her well. I hope I don't have to get used to this. I miss wearing glasses.

Then her expression changes. "Hy-hy-hy-hy-hy!" she stutters fearfully. I twitch my ear in confusion.

"Hy-what Nova?" I ask her, hoping she's just majorly overreacting. Unfortunately, I get this suspicion that is not the case. My little sister is normally not one to overreact. At least, not like this.

"HYPERBEAM" she screams, pointing one paw forward. I turn towards the direction. It's the armored t-rex! And he's…chewing a bright flashlight? No, that's actual light, and that light looks ready to blow at any second.

Hang on! Was this guy charging that thing up while my little sister and I were reuniting? Rude!

Of course I'm not too happy about that. In fact, I'm not even angry for whatever Nova had to go through before my arrival. Oh no, I'm supremely furious. But I'm not going to retaliate against that. On the flip coin, there's Nova to worry about.

"Run sis! I'll catch up!" I can't believe I'm actually going to face an armored t-rex. I must be the biggest idiot that ever existed. I turn to find Nova still there, furiously shaking her head.

"No way Sis! That's an aggron. It's a steel-rock type with super high defense stats. Any specialty attack you have will deal one-fourth power!" She says.

"Okay, now I'm super confused with the who and what stats I don't know power here," I reply back. What she said made no sense to me.

"You have no chance at all!" She summarizes, then frowns. "I'm staying here if you are Sis. We're screwed anyway."

I can't believe this. Nova, acting so serious like that. Oz must be really scaring her now, and most likely with good reason.

I would have denied her claim to stay, but then I hear a noise. A zipping sound followed by a sharp click. I find myself facing a gigantic orange laser beam. I push Sis out of the way towards safety, who was getting the mouse out of the way as well. I speed forward, caring my paws as fast as I can.

For good new, I find myself mostly on safe ground when the beam reached me. For bad news, I'm only mostly on safe ground. I forgot that I had a long tail. The edge of the beam hit it. Though it's only the tail, I can't describe how painful getting hit by that was. Perhaps something akin to getting this thing run over by a rocking chair (I'm sure that hurts a lot).

I can't hold back a scream as I flick my tail to my side. I'm so relieved it responds how I want it to. Ho boy, it's practically charred. Tail flambé anyone?

That doesn't stop the pain though. You would think it would settle down, but it just kept going. My vision blurs more than normal. Did I catch a cold or something just now? My head feels like an oven.

"Oh no," I hear Nova mutter. I hear the brushing of cloth against something. Something pink is forced in front of me.

"Eat this Sis, quick!" she shouts. Is she crazy? I don't even know what it is.

"Hurry Sis. You're injured and poisoned! This is a cure. Well for the poison at least." I hear Sis say. I would argue, but come on! Poison! I'd have to be an idiot not to trust my sis on this one here! Goofball I may be, but idiot I am (most of the time) not.

It takes all the strength I have to open my mouth. Sis tries to force me to eat the pink thing whole. That doesn't work. I can't chew nor swallow the thing whole. Then I see the pink thing taken away from my vision.

"WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW WITHOUT HELP, HUMAN?" I hear a shout, probably from the armored t-rex. Now I really don't like his attitude, addressing my sis rudely like that. Unfortunately, I don't have the strength to retaliate.

Fortunately, Sis did that for me. Unfortunately, she does the most cliché one possible. "This" she responds. I hear a swishing sound, followed by a cutting sound. I at first thought Nova slayed the t-rex somehow, but then I notice the lack of screams of agony. Before I can even come up with a response, I find myself with something small shoved into my mouth.

I swallow hard. As soon as that happens, visions back to normal blurriness. My sudden temperature rise disappears. All right! I am back in business!

I'm thrilled, until I see sis with a sharp object in paws. Knife, with pink liquid stuck on it. Before I freak out about the liquid, I also notice the cut up pink fruity thing she's also holding, along with the black cloth…thing.

"Hold on now Nova. WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?!" I ask furiously to my sister. I did NOT see her with that before.

My sister immediately avoids eye contact in response (I think), ears drooping. "I, uh, found it." She stammers.

"And just WHERE, pray tell, was that?" I ask her, holding harsh lectures in check.

Nova hands me the black cloth in response. I use my tail to pick it up, being paws were useless. That hurt like crazy of course, but I ignore it. I examine the thing closely.

The cloth seems to be attire of some sorts, there's a hood. I take note of the thin string near the neck. There appears to be pockets on the inside of the fabric, containing various objects.

First thing I spot are two pink fruits in adjacent pockets. Both pockets on either side of the fruits are empty. I see various other fruits and things I can't recognize. Then I find the knife. That would make two if you count the one Sis found. Two sheaths in crisscross position in the center of the fabric: one has a knife, the other doesn't.

"And where, pray tell, did you find this?" I ask, my tone becoming dangerously low. Sis immediately points a paw to the yellow long eared unconscious shorty near us.

Score twenty…no two HUNDRED negative trust points from me, mousy, for giving my little sister that fabric.

I hear a stomp sound from behind me. "The armored t-rex is right behind us, isn't he?" I ask Nova. She quickly nods her head.

"ENOUGH OF THIS! I SHALL FINISH YOU THREE OFF RIGHT NOW!" he screams. Now what is with this guy and shouting? He totally would talk in caps lock if this was a book right now. The volume of his voice is…really loud.

Sis and I both jump backwards, just missing the humungous claw that would have impaled us a second ago. I kept hold of the cloth, while Sis made sure to take the knife and Mister Negative Trust with her.

"I get that dino over there's after all three of us, but why save…WHATEVER THAT THING IS?" I ask Nova. I don't mind lives being saved, but it's going to slow her down.

"It's kind of payback for him saving me from the aggron on the first three attacks," She replied.

…

Okay, so he may have saved my little sister's life (possibly). Trust points to you sir for that, but I'm keeping the total at -1. Of course I have an idea what Nova would say next.

"Can we at least carry him until we're all out of the woods with this aggron?" She asks. Yep, save the guy. Not that I disagree with saving people, but I didn't like where this might lead us. That shorty could be dangerous.

"Okay, fine Sis. Let's just get out of here," I say to her.

She nods in response, turning her head towards some trees. "Head to the forest over there. The aggron will have trouble navigating through the trees." Clever plan sis, clever plan.

"Alight. Let's do this." I grab the knife Sis had with my tail when I notice she's about to trip. I sigh. "Put the guy on my back so you can run faster."

Sis nods and does so. He's pretty light, although he seems to be running a fever. That made the shiver running up my spine all the more stranger. I did not trust this guy.

Sis gets down on all fours, running at a much faster and more confident pace. "I have trouble walking on two's now," She explains.

"At least you can stand on two legs still, lucky gal," I joyfully tell her.

And so we briskly run past the tree line and into the forest. It was then we finally stop. I wish we could have picked a better forest to hide in. It's all gray!

"Did we just land ourselves in the only gray forest that exists?" I ask Nova, eyeing the surroundings. Then I turn back.

Hang on, wasn't there an exit to the field a moment ago? I notice the eerie lack of sound coming from this place. "Uh, hey Nova?" I ask.

"What is it Sis?" she responds back, completely unaware of a lack of an exit.

"You seem to know about Oz better than I do, right?"

"Oz?"

"This place."

"Well, yeah. I guess."

I nervously chuckle. "Do you have an explanation for why the exit just disappeared?"

I hear a gasp from Nova. I turn to face her, only to find what I believe to be a very fearful expression on her face. "Oh no," She murmurs.

Oh no? That's never a good sign.

"We're stuck inside a mystery dungeon," She whimpers.


	4. 4: The First Dungeon

Chapter 4: The First Dungeon

"A mystery dungeon?" Sis repeats, confused. The mention of the words send shivers up my spine. There is no way we can take on a mystery dungeon in real life. I rapidly nod my head.

"Look, Nova," Sis rationalizes. "It can't be as bad as the t-rex. That thing had ARMOR!"

I shake my head. No, this is worse than the aggron. At least we were starting to get an idea of how he battled. With some more dodging, we could have landed a first hit. Mystery dungeons were tough in the games already! I don't want to know how tough they'll be in real life.

"You don't understand Sis," I explain. "Being in a mystery dungeon has far more risks, and I'm only accounting for what I know from the games. I don't know how much worse it will be compared to that."

"It could be better. You don't know," she stubbornly replies.

I shake my head once more in certainty. "It's worse. This place may have similar design to the games, but its gameplay is where the major differences are."

I look towards the nonexistent entrance. "That aggron's attacks were nowhere near what one would consider turn-based."

Sis nods her head in acceptance to my statement. "True that may be Nova, but what did you expect? The t-rex to actually sit and wait while you figured out how to hit it?"

"It's not that Sis. I understand the whole 'flow-of-battle' difference, but the aggron used a poisoning move with his attacks. Something like toxic maybe? I don't know. In Pokémon games, it's one move at a time, unless it's a fused move. The aggron does not have that. You were poisoned from the hyper beam as I was from the um…whatever shockwave attack he used."

I would have explained further had Sis not held up a paw. "Wait just a minute there Nova." She says in a low voice. I gulp, keeping my mouth closed.

"Are you telling me, that the armored t-rex, POISONED YOU?!" she exclaims, clearly furious.

Having known Sis my entire life, I kind of expected her get like this if I ever told her the Aggron poisoned me. The only problem was that I forgot to remind myself to not tell her. Opps.

"Yes, and that's how I figured out about the Pecha berries," I inform her.

"And when was this?!"

I sigh, partially embarrassment about that situation. "I was blown back and poisoned on the first shockwave. Luckily I held onto that fabric. Otherwise, I wouldn't have cured myself," I explain.

Sis takes a deep breath in return. "Well, nothing I can do about it now that there's no exit. But I swear, that t-rex will get a real lecture from me about harming my little sis." I could almost hear her thinking about how my little spurt about humanity was relevant.

I get up on my hind legs once again. It's much easier that the first time. I figure I can do this just as long as I don't need to move too quickly. It's far more comfortable to…well, at least feel like I'm still human. It helps that I'm an illusionist fox zorua. I could imagine being stable in the hind legs would help in making two-legged illusions more convincing.

I grab the fabric from the ground, which Sis dropped once we stopped. I take a Pecha berry from it and head to the other difference factor in this world, the oddly-colored pikachu.

His coloring is far off from my first impressions, and I'm certain it's not because of the poison. I probably didn't notice before because the eyes were so…off. Everything that's not yellow, like his ear tips and cheeks are a dark purple. Even his fur seems a little dimmer that what I remember of a pikachu's normal sprite. Of course, that could be because we might have landed in a place where time is broken.

He's curled up into a ball, his eyes squeezed shut. I place a paw on his forehead. It's burning. I wonder if it's really the effects of the poison, or something more akin to a fever. I forget to pick up a knife, so I set the berry on the ground, turning around to get one. Unfortunately, Sis notices my actions.

She looks at the pikachu sharply before sighing. "I'm guessing he got poisoned as well?" she asks. I nod.

Sis picks up the knife with her tail, sitting next to the Pikachu. With her front paws free, she's able to grab the Pecha berry. She makes slow cuts into the berry. It reminds me of when she cut apples for me back home.

"He seems in pretty bad shape," she observes. Even though I know she can't see me, I nod my head.

"You know I don't trust this guy. Right Nova?"

"Of course I do," I respond. I knew her first impressions as soon as she saw the knives. Why the knives were there, I don't know. This mouse is a mystery to me. He demonstrates many of those 'major gameplay differences'. "But he's the closest help we have at the moment."

"Yeah. Our 'closest help' is unconscious at the moment." Sis mutters, though I overhear her remark.

"Think about it Sis. The aggron was trying to…" I pause around the word, hesitating to say it. "Kill…him as well. We might just be able to at least work together for a while to make sure that the aggron doesn't follow us."

Sis places a neatly sliced Pecha berry on the ground. "True that may be, but which one is more dangerous. Mysterious shorty here, or that clear-intentioned killer Dino?"

"Isn't the answer obvious? We know the aggron wants us de…defeated," I respond.

"Yes, we know that 'Aggie-Ron' want's us dead. However, that mouse might just backstab us in the head. What do you know about him?"

"How do you think I should know?" I ask.

Sis turns her head towards me. "You're the expert."

I sigh. "He's an electric type mouse Pokémon of a species called pikachu. That's all the definite information I have."

Sis tilts her head. "Oh, so the pick-a-sneeze thing from that poke-a-something franchise you got into as a kid?"

I snicker. "Yes, and its pikachu, not pick-a-sneeze."

She grins at me. "Of course it's pick-a-sneeze! It has 'achoo' in it!" she jokingly declares.

I laugh out loud. "Glad I made you laugh Nova. Now what about the not-so-definite information you have?" sis asks, getting me back on track.

It takes me half a minute to work up my focus and maintain a serious face, but I manage. "This is from what I gathered from conversation, but this guy used to work for the aggron. I think the aggron might work for someone else though if he's confronting us so directly and immediately like this. From talking with me, he got in trouble with the aggron. Then he turned on the aggron, so the aggron decided to eliminate him along with us as well. He seems like an adequate fighter, and easy to talk reason with."

"And where did those last two assumptions come from?"

"He held up well against the aggron until he was poisoned. He suggested that I ran before aggron showed up, and suggested that we collaborated before the aggron's first attack."

Sis rubbed her head with her tail in thought. "Hmm, levelheaded eh? Seems like the clever sort. That can be dangerous. He also had that cloth he gave to you. Suspicious," she mumbles.

By this time, Sis had already given the pikachu part of the cut-up Pecha berry. At a glance, his condition didn't seem to be letting up. Maybe he really is sick and not poisoned. Not entirely looking like a backstabber at the moment, but he probably has information we may need.

I snicker in thought of the idea I just had. "You know, if you find him so suspicious Sis, we can always interrogate him."

Sis turns around quickly in confusion. "Interrogation? How in the world would we…" The idea clicks into her mind as well. "Oh, Interrogation! Ha, just like we used to do with Cuddles the stuffed bear."

"We never got Cuddles to confess for stealing all the cookies though."

"Silly Nova! We both know he did it! The cookie crumb tracks lead to him!"

"Yes. And on BOTH of our faces."

We both laugh up a storm so we don't notice something creeping up on us until it charges from behind a tree.

I hear a chorus of distorted sounds before we both are blown away by a concentration of wind. I crash onto the ground head-first, pain instantly registering. Luckily, Pokémon skulls are more resilient than human ones. It doesn't seem like I got a concussion.

Dazed, I look up at our new attacker. It takes a second for me to focus my vision. It looks like three honeycombs glued together like a water molecule. Each honeycomb has a face, all with an extremely angered look. The middle honeycomb has a red marking on its top, signifying it as female. The combee beats its triangular transparent wings quicker than one could count.

I sit up as I regain my focus. I find Sis blown to the left of me attempting the same thing. She shakes her head rapidly, taking a deep breath in and out.

"Do you know what that thing is Nova?" she asks, requesting for a report. Before I could give her an answer, the tiny bee is upon me, and bites my foot…er…hind leg.

I shake it off, but find myself with far less strength than before. It feels like a sticky web is stuck to me, and I don't like it one bit. An effect of my typing no doubt. I'm at a severe disadvantage in this battle.

The combee charges at me again for another bug bite attack, when Sis unwinds her tail to a length able to hit it. I can see her grit her teeth as she withholds any soreness from the hyper beam from confronting the aggron.

The combee veers off course, but spins around in midair, slowing its misguided flight pattern. It twirls rapidly as if it were performing a gyro ball attack, a pink gas seeping out of the spinning mass. Recognizing the sweet scent maneuver, I jump back on my hind legs, holding my nose. Sis notices my behavior, and does the same using her tail.

The gas turns to a swirling tornado. We both get blown back once again. Luckily, neither of us land head-first this time.

I frown. We're getting creamed by this combee! I know if we keep this up any longer, we'll lose. I don't want to find out the difference in getting beaten in a mystery dungeon in the games verses real life.

The games! That's it! Whenever I found an opponent I couldn't beat in the games, I would use an item to save myself from the possibility of fainting. This may not be the same as the games, but some gameplay must still apply, especially towards the use of items. It certainly makes more sense than turn-based attacks.

I eye the cloth near the tree line. This dungeon's path is designed in between tree lines, so I naturally find myself at the other end. If I or Sis can get to that cloth and find and item to use, then we can escape.

The tornado the combee is making (most likely from a tailwind maneuver) extends to where I can feel it from where I was blown. I remain on four paws, holding back against the rushing breeze.

Surprisingly, Sis overcomes the attack almost instantly, charging towards the combee. She attacks the tornado, hitting the combee with her tail. It cuts off its attack, charging at her in retaliation.

"Sis!" I yell. "Do you think you can hold it off for a few seconds?" That's all I need to put my plan into motion.

She is hit with a bug bite to the tail. "Yeah!" she replies. I'm not certain if she'll hold out that long even. She's panting heavily.

Watching Sis and the combee battle all the while, I rush towards the bag. Sis tries to hit the combee with her tail, while the honeycomb uses a series of gust attacks in return. I dodge any that accidently come towards me.

I make it to the cloth, searching through the pockets for seeds, orbs, or anything useful to us. There are books in some pockets, but I ignore them since I don't have the time nor knowledge to read the Pokémon writing language. I find what I'm looking for, pulling out a light gray seed with dark purple swirls. I don't know the difference between seeds here, but I'm willing to bet that this one should not be eaten.

I look towards the battle to find Sis on the ground. She's covered in bruises from the gust attacks, and seems to not have the energy to dodge another. The combee charges towards her again, ready to finish her off with one last bug bite attack.

"Sis! Duck!" I yell towards her, flinging the seed as far as I can. Sis ducks, crouching on the ground.

The seed heads downward in midflight, not able to hit the combee. Recognizing this and my idea, Sis quickly grabs the flying seed with her tail, throwing it back at the combee. The seed flies into the middle honeycomb's mouth.

Instantly, the tiny bee slows its flight, yawns escaping from each of the three honeycombs. Within mere seconds, it's fast asleep. I'm sure glad Sis has a better throwing arm than I ever did.

"Let's get out of here, before it wakes up!" I yell towards her. She picks up the rest of the equipment along with the strange pikachu, and we both race out of the hall as fast as our legs can carry us.

After about a minute of running, we slow our pace to a light jog. Um…if you can jog on all fours that is.

"Okay Nova. I know this sounds unnecessary now, but can you please tell me what that was?" Sis asks, panting as she moves.

"We just battled against a combee," I explain. "It's a tiny bee Pokémon. It used sweet scent to make us easier targets, gust to attack long range, and bug bite to attack short range. It used tailwind to create a wind barrier and increase speed too. It's a bug-flying type currently not evolved, and—"

"Okay! Okay! Too much information there little Sis!" She cut me off from my further explanations. "Remember that I haven't played your childhood games, so I don't know half of what you're talking about."

I hear a shuffling sound behind me. I halt in my running, turning around to face another tree line. Which is strange, considering that's where the path we came from used to be.

Sis notices as well, pausing in her running to gap at the sight. "How in the world did that forest run right behind us?"

"In the games, you had to pass a stairway to get further within a mystery dungeon. I guess that is the stairway equivalent."

"Hey, I don't feel like I'm about to pass out from exhaustion here! Is there a similar equivalent in your old games?" she asks.

"Yeah. As you traveled in the dungeons, your health naturally replenished itself. Unless you had a status effect, of course." I explain, partially relieved to be blessed with natural dungeon healing.

"This place is super wonky here Nova. We need to get out of here before we get attacked again." she warns.

"I warned you before that mystery dungeons are dangerous. Hate to tell you this Sis, but I told you so." I reply.

"Don't tell me that three-faced-bee wasn't the strongest thing here."

"Knowing the stats of the average combee, it most likely wasn't. Their evolved forms are much stronger."

Sis puts on her best smile in response. It appears as if she's confident she can conquer this mystery dungeon. That is, if her smile isn't obviously fake. "Well, Nova…No problem…You know how to handle this place, so we can navigate properly through it…Right?"

I shake my head. "There's a reason why mystery dungeons are called 'mystery' dungeons. In the games, each floor was randomly formatted. Even if you memorized all the names of the dungeons, there would have been no possible way to predict its layout without the coding."

"You at least know that much Nova!" Sis desperately clings to her fake smile. Just as the smile fades from lack of effectiveness, she suddenly beams again, far more genuine this time.

"Hang on there, Nova! You DO know this stuff!" she exclaims.

"Huh?" I stare, dumbfounded at how her statement has anything to do with taking on a mystery dungeon.

"Don't you understand Nova? You know this place! Well, not how to navigate through this 'mystery dungeon' of course, but practically everything else!

"You've dealt with most of the items in that cloth's pockets. You know the abilities of our opponents. Heck, you probably know the situation we're in with Oz more than I do! All you have to do is stun all the enemies we come across, and tell me any information on new opponents.

"Sis, we CAN conquer this mystery dungeon! We just need you to hold the items."

I can't believe Sis is giving me such a huge responsibility. It seems so vital for survival. What if I mess up? We both could end up de…dead.

"Of course, using the knives is a super huge no-no, so don't use those things." I nod my head rapidly. I'm ready to provide informational support for my sister, even though…

"Hang on Sis! How come YOU'RE doing all the battling?!" I exclaim. Sis chuckles at my realization.

"You'll be carrying everything then, silly. And I don't want my little sister getting herself injured using items while fighting at the same time. I don't want you to get all exhausted!"

Finding an argument not worth the trouble, I agree to her terms. For the next several floors, I end up carrying the pikachu and the cloth. Luckily, I find this string around the neck part, which allows it to be worn like something akin to a cape with a hood attached. It isn't like anything's too heavy to carry or anything like that. I just prefer to not have my paws too full. I don't exactly have opposable thumbs.

As for the pikachu, he still sleeps. I almost get concerned until I realize his temperature has decreased. He's still breathing somewhat steadily, so I assume that's a good sign. Still doesn't make him any lighter to carry though.

We don't have any other issues with battling opponents inside the mystery dungeon. Most of them are bug types, so I often keep my distance from the battle. Sis gets the hang of attacking with her tail as if it were a fist. I don't think she realized she has claws yet. Oh well, she's doing okay as is, and I don't want to mess her progress up.

I mainly throw seeds at any oncoming opponents. Luckily, there is a plentiful supply of seeds in the pockets. Most of the time I hit the target, but Sis catches and finishes the throw if I miss. When she misses, I just use another seed. With our strategy, we keep in top condition while traveling through the mystery dungeon.

Finally, we come to a clearing in the forest. The gray-colored clearing is filled with grass, and a narrow path leading to a light. That's where the exit is! We finally made it!

"Is that the end of the mystery dungeon Nova?" Sis asks me.

I nod my head. "I believe that is. Umm…but don't take my word on it."

Sis rushes past me and through the open clearing. "All right! Just one more stretch to go. Let's go make this mystery dungeon history! Wahoo!" She celebrates as she races to the exit.

I trail behind, though I begin to pick up a distant noise. I can hear it getting louder. Is it me, or does it sound like a shout? Or maybe even a scream?

I slow down my pace. I can definitely hear something now, but I can't see anybody shouting or screaming. A feeling of dread washes over me.

I hear a groaning sound behind me. I realize that the pikachu is waking up. I carried him on my back throughout the dungeon, but I haven't notice too much until now. He didn't exactly cause any disturbances while he slept.

"Human?" He whispers in confusion. I realize he's addressing me.

"Hello," I respond. "We're just clearing this place since we accidently went into here while fleeing from that aggron."

His left ear sags in exhaustion. "Aggron?" He repeats, dazed.

I nod softly. "Yeah. We're almost done here in this place though." I pause. "It's not that long now. Just a few minutes, and we all can be both on our merry ways. Umm…you don't mind answering a few questions first, do you?"

His eyes widen as a thought occurs to him. "She'll kill you," He whispers in a voice so low, I can hardly hear him. I'm not even sure if I'm actually supposed to hear that statement.

"Come on Nova! What's the hold up?" Sis yells from the edge of the clearing, close to the narrow path.

"Sorry Sis!" I hear a gasp from behind me as the pikachu repeats the word 'sis'.

Carrying the pikachu still, I race towards her, explaining as I run. "It's just that our company just—"

"LOOK OUT FROM ABOVE!" I hear the pikachu yell from behind me. I look up to see a large bulky figure fall from the tree tops. How the heavyweight was able to sustain its weight from the tree tops I'm not sure, but it somehow managed without being noticed. It's about to squash me!

I race forward, jumping at the last step. That's probably what saves me from becoming a pancake, as I feel rock-hard skin graze my tail. I get blown back, the force of the figure's fall great enough for the pikachu to be blown off me as well.

I see him look back at me in midflight, eyes widened. A solid object slams against my side. Pain unlike any I've ever experienced courses through my body. My vision turns to blurs of grays, the blurs moving rapidly as I feel myself being flown back.

I feel another hard force on my head, and my vision goes black.


	5. 5: Versus Toxic Heavyweight Aggron

Chapter 5: Versus Toxic Heavyweight Aggron

Before I can react, a heavy tail slams into the human midflight. She screeches in intense pain upon impact, changing her flight direction sideways with increased speed. Her head hits a tree, and she loses conscious immediately afterwards.

Meanwhile, I land on the ground without the several pound tail being slammed into me. I ache from earlier, and at first remain on the ground, but only for a few seconds. I get up on two-paws.

I glare at the Pokémon whose tail slammed into her in the first place, the aggron. He gives a malevolent grin in return, the kind one has before they brag about their accomplishments.

"THAT'S ONE PEST OUT OF THE WAY! ALL THAT'S LEFT IS YOU TWO, SORE FROM BATTLE ALREADY!" he begins to monologue. Why can't opponents be original with their actions and not repeat cliché after cliché?

I zone out from the aggron's speech on how 'our resistance is futile', blah-blah-blah. I already know his master plan to kill all three of us in battle. I don't find it necessary to listen to that again.

The poison somehow got out of my system while I was unconscious. That is somewhat confusing, given that the only one who might have cured me would have been the human. Plus, she would have to obtain a poison-curing item, such as a Heal seed or a Pecha berry.

…

She could have gotten the items from my cloak, which I gave to her before fighting and losing to the aggron. If so, how would she recognize which item to use? I think human diet options are different than a Pokémon's. I don't think I have labels in the fabric. Unless she knew already.

That human…zorua knows more about this place than I originally assumed.

Poisoned or not, I'm still somewhat injured. Luckily the natural healing effects of this mystery dungeon most likely put me in a less severe state of injury. Or at least I assume this is a mystery dungeon. The aggron ambushed us in a clearing next to a light source, a sign of being near the end of a mystery dungeon. Either way, it would not be advisable to face the aggron with this many injuries.

As for the hum…zorua, she is definitely not able to battle. The hit didn't kill her luckily. Although faint, there is a rising and falling of her chest. She just needs to be kept away from any battle zones.

I notice she's wearing my cloak (hood not in use). While I did hand it over willingly to her, I would personally like that back. It contains all my equipment, some of which I would not prefer anybody to be using or messing with.

I turn to the new addition, the glameow. She's coated with multiple bruises, including a charred edge of her tail. A possible second human.

I wasn't informed about there being two humans. In fact, I wouldn't expect there to be two humans. It takes decades at the very least until a new human arrives in this world. Two humans arriving at the same time is practically an impossibility.

But unless the glameow's name really is 'Sis' or I misheard how she was addressed, that impossibility is a reality.

Her expression changes immensely within a few seconds. First shock, then her ears sag in grief, then her eyes burn with rage directed to the aggron. The passionate change in emotions supports the implication that she really is the zorua's sibling.

Like me, she's not paying attention to the aggron's monologue, but for an entirely different reason. I'm taking the time to analyze my situation after just regaining consciousness, while she's just pissed at the colossus for severally injuring her possible sibling. She might be even assume the zorua died from the impact of the attack. It was a harsh blow.

That needs to be taken care of immediately. An enraged attacker fights blindly, a collected attacker can hit at point blank. Hmm…Instinctive recall. Demonstrates just how much significance I place in keeping calm during battle. I need to find a way to calm the glameow before the aggron finishes his speech.

"YOU THREE SHALL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF MESSING WITH HER MAJESTY AND ME THROUGH—"

Which may or may not take a year to complete and may contain incorrect grammar, but that's beside the point. The cat needs to take a 'chill pill', or whatever humans use to calm down.

I take a couple steps back. Now I'm about four feet left of the cat. "Hey," I whisper in an attempt to secretly address her.

Her head whips around to face me and I get a full force of an enraged glare (not the maneuver) from her. Great, caught her attention. Now all I have to do is figure out how to talk her out of being so angry.

I start by stating the basic facts. "The human is still alive."

She narrows her gaze in response, distrust clearing showing in her eyes. Okay, that didn't work. Maybe I could rationalize how I'm an ally since she doesn't trust me?

"I'm not here to cause any problems. The aggron wants me dead as well. In fact, he wants all three of us dead. I suggest we temporarily collaborate to take this guy down," I rationalize.

This doesn't work. She gives a scowl in return. "I can take care of this jerk who attacked my little sister on my own," she responds in a low and harsh tone.

So she is an older sibling to the zorua. She cares deeply for her sister given her attitude. As an older sibling, she most likely supports and cares for her younger sibling. Both a strength and a weakness. I'll save that information for later.

Okay, I'll appeal to her dedication to her younger sibling. "If you battle, your younger sister will get caught in the crossfire. In her severely injured state, a hit caused by that could be fatal."

I can see her eyes dilate at the thought. I've obviously caught her attention this time. She needs to get her younger sibling out of harm's way herself. She wouldn't even consider the idea of trusting me with her sibling's life.

She snarls when she realizes my point. "Can you hold Mr. Fatso off that long?" she spitefully asks in unwilling acceptance. I hold back a snicker at the 'fatso' comment. As funny as it is, a mere giggle could easily be taken the wrong way in this situation.

"Yes, I can hold off the aggron that long. I actually might be able to beat him, if you can hand me back my cloak," I push my luck as I try to metaphorically hit two flying-types with one Geo Pebble.

I earn another glare in return. "And just what's so important about that black cloth anyway?" she asks, her voice dripping with suspicion. I have to choose my words really carefully now, especially with the distrustful look she's giving me.

Unfortunately, I have trouble thinking up of any adequate word choice in the few seconds I have. Note to self: think of a way to pick proper wordings quicker.

"It contains all my equipment," I explain using the most simplistic details I can think of.

In return, her glare becomes even sharper. "Including the two knives?" she whispers harshly.

Simple explanations without detail. Simple explanations without detail. "They're really effective and useful for short-range combat." Okay, maybe I could have simplified that phrase even further, but it was the best thing I could think of in three seconds.

"And how will that help with defeating that armored t-rex?" she asks.

"They conduct electricity well." I purposefully let a trickle of electricity loose from my cheeks to express my point.

She glares even more. "Suspicious," she mutters under her breath before she relaxes slightly.

"Fine. If you think you can take of Mr. Fatso with the hours-long speech, go for it. I'll keep an eyes on my sister in the meantime. I'll give you the cloak now, but you'll have to do something in return."

So she's bargaining? I'll compromise as long as it's a request I can uphold. I hope she won't say 'don't bother me or my little sister ever again'. I need to keep an eye on them. Those humans need to be kept alive. "What in return?" I inquire.

I fear for the worst when she begins to grin. "My sister and I would like to ask you a few questions after Fatso is taken care of."

I almost burst into laughter at her request. That's it? There has to be some sort of trick here. That request is too easy to uphold. I would have denied the request due to caution if this compromise wasn't so necessary for survival. And if they didn't have my cloak with them.

"Consider it done." I accept the bargain.

The glameow nods, then turns around crouched on the ground. She carefully crawls towards her sibling. The aggron notices, charging up a mud slap in response. "DO NOT INTERRUPT ME, CAT!" he yells. Monologue time is obviously over.

I send a thundershock at the aggron as a distraction. It's a weak blow, but it hits him. Never turn your back on any opponent.

The aggron turns his attention towards me, firing the glob of mud at me. I merely duck to dodge. Mud slap attacks are not accurate if your opponent can see it coming.

"NOT DONE YET LACKEY?!" he yells at me. I sigh. He's trying to kill me and thinks that just because I was previously unconscious for a time means that I'm done? Stupid cliché opponent logic.

That doesn't mean his angry stare doesn't make me at least a little scared. My ears droop. How did I get myself in this situation in the first place? Right, decoy until I get my cloak back.

"Uh…hello Fatso?" I squeak in the lightest voice I can manage. It's enough to set the aggron off.

"FATSO?!" he yells. Oh, I just said that out loud, didn't I? Keep it together. You've handled this kind of stuff before.

…

I'm how many times shorter than this guy? Six or so?

KEEP IT TOGETHER! Your opponent asks you a question. Respond accordingly.

"Yes. Fatso. Nickname curtesy of the human." I maintain a collected voice this time. At the mention of the human, the aggron's about to whip his head around.

I send another thundershock to get his attention. "You're current opponent is at the moment me. Not the humans." The glameow's halfway to her sibling. I need more time to stall. Just as long as the aggron stays with a cliché 'playing with opponent' routine, there shouldn't be any major problems.

The aggron does just that. "AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH, LACKEY? ESPECIALLY AFTER YOUR LAST DEFEAT!" He's trying to intimidate me.

"You could always address me by my species, as it's clear I no longer work for 'her majesty'," I calmly reply, hoping he'll go off on a tangent with my statement. The glameow's almost there. I need to keep him talking for a few more seconds.

"TOO SCARED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION DIRECTLY?!" he shouts back, my attempt unsuccessful.

"I admit that you are intimidating." Closer. "Very intimidating in fact." Closer. "Practically made me lose it because of that." Almost there. "However…" About two more feet or so to go.

"I know enough of your weaknesses to where I can defeat you," I state. The aggron's main weakness is definitely his overconfidence in the effectiveness of his toxic-infused attacks. Each attack has the move toxic imbedded within it, badly poisoning his opponent when his attacks hit. This gives the aggron a great advantage.

It's a clever tactic, but it's way overused. A simple counter to the strategy is merely using an item to cancel the poison status. In my cloak, I have those supplies. One Pecha berry can be used many times, as its healing juices are highly effective in countering poison.

The toxic strategy seems to be the only one the aggron relies on. He should fall easily when his strategy fails. He may be a strong and intimidating Pokémon, but depending on one tactic will make one panic and weaken when said tactic is proven ineffective.

The glameow reaches her sibling. She uses her tail to put the zorua on her and grab my cloak. Stalling mission accomplished.

Now not needing to conceal herself, the glameow races across the clearing. She passes me, flinging my cloak onto the ground next to me. "You said you could beat him on your own, right?" she asks.

I nod my head. She exhales a breath she most likely kept in until now. "Have fun," she says before passing me and near the narrow path leading to safety.

She's sticking around to monitor the situation. If I lose to the aggron, she knows she would have to run. If the battle gets too dangerous from the sidelines, she can always escape the mystery dungeon. A clever spot to place herself and sibling in the sidelines.

I look at the aggron, who's charging up a hyper beam during the disruption. That should take another five seconds minimum to finish. The trouble with that move is timing: you need to attack right away once charged at a predetermined location.

I use the time I have to pick up my cloak. How good it is to get this back! And if worse comes to worse, I always have…

Two sleep seeds.

"What happened to my stash of sleep seeds?" I ask out loud. I'm certain I had more than just a couple sleep seeds in my cloak before.

"Sorry Shorty! We had to use some items," I hear the glameow say from a distance. Okay, I can understand the 'navigating through a mystery dungeon' thing, but did they have to use so many sleep seeds? These humans need some battle training after all this is said and done. And did she have to call me 'Shorty'?

I hear a sharp click sound. The aggron's done charging his hyper beam. Having no time to put it on, I grab my cloak with my teeth, racing on all fours away from the area I previously occupied. I assume I was close to being fried pikachu, as I can feel the heat of the beam. Luckily, I completely dodge the attack.

I skid to a stop by keeping my paws stationed on the ground. Once I stop, I stand up. I take the string lanced around the shoulder area of my cloak and tie it around my neck. I make sure it's a loose knot in case of emergency. All right, now I have my cloak back.

The aggron charges at me, claw raised with a mighty shell of visible berserk energy surrounding it. I jump back, dodging the attack. Debris scatters in the air. I grab my cloak to use as a shield from the dust and rocks. No need for possible sand attacks becoming effective.

Once the dust settles, I find myself faced with another oncoming dragon claw. I step to the side, but the energy released from the attack manages to graze my left ear. Quickly noticing the effects of the toxic, I jump backwards.

I reach inside my cloak, paws quickly trying to locate the position of the necessary items. I grab a knife and a Pecha berry, the only one I have left. The aggron sees this as an opportunity the charge with another dragon claw, in which I retaliate using a thundershock. The electrical energy passes through my knife, amplifying the attack enough to halt the aggron's charge.

I chop off an eighth of the berry. My vision starts to blur as I do so, a sign that I don't have much time. I quickly eat the cut slice, my vision instantly recovering. I put back the remains of the Pecha berry, and do the same to an Oran berry. The exhaustion caused by the poison goes away, and I'm ready for the aggron's next move.

The aggron, now furious with my counter to his strategy, stomps the ground once more, creating a similar shockwave that hit me last time.

The trick to this attack isn't to go defensive. Even if you withstand the shockwave, there's still the poison to worry about. The shockwave comes from applying force such as a stomp attack to the ground. In theory, you wouldn't be affected if you were _above_ the shockwave.

I race toward the tree line, jumping upwards to catch onto a branch. I climb further up, far enough up for the shockwave to miss. I smile at the advantage I have now. The aggron's attacks are mostly physical, and his ranged attacks lack accuracy. Meanwhile, I'm up in a tree, with accurate ranged attacks and speed to dodge.

I put the hood of my cloak on. Even though the aggron can still see me quite well, he won't soon enough. It will be much harder to keep track of me with a hood on in a shaded area moving at high speeds.

The aggron fires a mud shot at me. I use a quick attack to give myself enough of a speed boost to move several trees over. I hit him with a thundershock. He just registers the direction of my movement when I use another quick attack to head to a different cluster of trees.

The process repeats until the aggron uses a hyper beam instead. Risky move. He's merely guessing my position at the cost of mobility. Also a decision lacking tactical thought. That toxic trick seems to be his only strategy.

I stand still in the tree. The aggron will be looking for a moving object. This next attack will be the finishing blow. I get ready to concentrate electricity into one spot as quickly as possible.

The aggron fires the hyper beam too far right. I lift up both my paws, concentrating as much electrical energy above them. It begins to take a physical form as a small mass of sparks the size of a poké.

"Twenty. Thirty. Fifty. Charging. Charging," I instinctively mutter to myself.

Once the electric mass seems about to burst, I know it's fully charged. "One Hundred. Now take this!" I fling the berry-sized energy at the still recovering aggron.

The aggron can't move, and gets hit with a cluster of pure electrical energy. An intense electrical shock runs through the aggron as he screams in pain. He falls to the ground, the earth shaking as the heavyweight hits the ground unconscious.

Maybe I overdid the last attack slightly. Pure energy is very painful. Maybe I should have stopped at fifty?

I carefully climb down from the tree, aware of my footing the entire time. I definitely shouldn't have used that much electricity in that last attack. It leaves me exhausted afterwards. Using a last resort technique when not necessary, what was I thinking?

I luckily don't fall during my decent. However, I don't pay attention to my footing once on the ground, and trip on the third step. I want a nap.

Unfortunately for me, I've still got a long way to go before getting some actual rest. I look towards the glameow, who's staring with quite a bit of shock on her face at the fallen aggron. The humans seriously don't understand basic combat techniques, so I need to keep an eye on them. They could easily be killed with their current skill.

"How in the…" I hear her gasp. She turns to me. "You got beaten easily first time fighting this guy, right?"

"Yep. Having a good plan works wonders," I explain.

She frowns in response. "Right. That's the only reason," She replies sarcastically.

It's my turn to frown. Perceptive or just doesn't trust me, she's accurate. I need to be careful around her. Whether that applies to the other human remains to be seen.

"Did I hit it on the nail with a hammer there?" she asks, grinning.

I stand up, hiding my gritting teeth and confusion to her human terminology in response to her reaction. It's her being perceptive. Arceus.

"Come on Shorty. Time this mystery dungeon became history." The glameow places her unconscious sibling on her back, heading towards the exit. I follow her at a distance, keeping my pace slow and quiet.

After a few second, she turns her head. "What's with the stealth? It's not like Fatso will spring up any moment, right?"

I shake my head. "Nervous habit you could say. We've got at least a half hour head start on the aggron anyway if he decides to not report in."

Her eyes burn with suspicion. "Report in, eh?"

I avert eye contact. "Old occupation, okay? I can't go back there anyway."

"Hmm, sounds like your old job didn't like you quitting on them. Not exactly good for the backstabbing record-book," she comments, her voice turning harsher with every word.

"Would you have preferred you and your sister dead? Because that's what would have happened had I not resigned," I state with a hint of spite in my voice, tired of her constant suspicion.

She pauses, before she sighs. "Look Shorty, I fully appreciate you saving my little sister. In fact, I'm thrilled she's still alive. But you seem far too suspicious to me. You're a clever sort. Why would you need to keep us alive?"

Before I can respond, she continues. "I know anything along the lines of 'out of the goodness of my heart' is a big fat lie. I've dealt with ulterior motives before. And I swear, if it puts my sister in danger…"

She leaves it at that note. Well, she at least knows how to stop a sentence for effect.

"Get your responses ready for your interrogation, and don't leave anything out. We'll be starting as soon as my little sister wakes up," She informs.

Interrogation? Ah, the compromise from earlier. I forgot about that. I never thought of it as an interrogation though.

Either way, the human should not have informed me to get ready. All I have to do is anticipate likely questions to respond to accordingly. Hehe, much simpler than thinking up responses in mere seconds.

Better be careful though. If certain facts are known too soon, plans can easily crumble. Hehe.

After all, the human suspects I have ulterior motives, which I do.


	6. 6: Interrogation

Chapter 6: Interrogation

I see Nova's ear twitch as she begins to wake. "Sis?" she murmurs as her eyes open.

"Glad you're finally awake Little Sis." I tell her. Before she woke, I debated if I should remind her about the interrogation as soon as possible or at a later time. I decided the former, but I doubt I'll follow through on that now. It's like she's back in elementary school, with me always looking after her while Mom and Dad worked.

Her eyes widen as the current events catch up to her. "Sis! Are you okay? What happened to you after I was knocked out?"

I sigh to myself, keeping the calm attitude I always try to maintain around her. "Relax Nova." I tell her in the softest voice I can manage. "I'm okay. And you're okay too, and that's what matters."

Unfortunately, I guess I use that voice too much on her before. She gives me an indifferent expression in return. "That's nice and all Sis, but can you please explain what happened."

I would have told her I'd explain later, but I'm cut off.

"Aggron happened." I turn my head to face the speaker, the interrupting Pick-a-sneeze guy. Okay, it's Pick-achoo. I give him a harsh glare as he elaborates, obviously ignoring my facial expression.

"He ambushed us at the end of the dungeon. Classic enemy tactic actually. He knocked you unconscious with an iron tail, and we battled. We managed to knock him out and cleared the dungeon. Since we won't have any more pursuers for a little while, it was decided that we wait until you woke up."

I have to squint to see the mouse. He keeps a dozen foot distance. I would call it getting out of interrogation via fleeing, but he's sitting with his feet crisscross. I could be wrong, but I don't expect anybody to head for the hills in that position.

Unless that's what he WANTS me to think. I swear, he's had a suspicious vibe ever since I found those knives in that cloak of his. And we want information from him?! Possibly false information is better than nothing I suppose.

"I would prefer it if you didn't give answers until your interrogation, Shorty," I tell him in the nicest tone I could, which is mediocre at best. Hey, at least I tried to keep it calm.

"Sis!" I turn to Nova, who doesn't look too pleased with me at the moment. I mentally berate my behavior. My little sister was thrown into this mess too! Of course she has the right to know what's going on. My ears sag at the realization.

Shorty gets up, walking over to us. He reaches into his cloak, taking out a round blue fruit. He hands it to me. "I apologize for interrupting, but its best that we get the questioning out of the way as soon as possible. Every argument gives the enemy more time to regroup and plan another attack."

I nod my head. If wasting time puts us in danger, we should concentrate on moving forward as fast as possible. That means getting information about what in the world is up with Oz.

"Right. Just a minute," I say, turning to Nova afterwards. "Do you know what this blue thing does?" I ask. I think Shorty used one of these while fighting the dino, but I'm not really sure what it did.

"It's an Oran berry," Nova explains as she takes the berry. She bites into it, chewing and swallowing before continuing. "It replenishes health." Oh, healing item. That makes sense.

"Take your time with the eating Sis," I instruct her. "After you're done, we can go interrogate Shorty there."

She tilts her head, about to speak again. I shake my head, reminding her to chew and swallow before she speaks. She does so before continuing. "Interrogation? We're actually doing that?" I give her a blank look. "Uh, I mean, yeah. Interrogation," She fakes a cheer, but I don't buy it. I sigh. Great, she probably just suggested it so I would be more willing to carry Shorty. Either that or she completely forgot about her idea. I hope it's not the former.

I leave Nova to her berry-eating. It's been a while since we've 'interrogated', and our target was always our stuffed bear. Poor Cuddles. We haven't played with him in years. Now how did that game go again? We always used a flashlight and asked a bunch of questions.

Well, I have no phone or anything to be used as a light, nor can we ask a bunch of questions in a row if we actually want answers. Boy, we were terrible at that game.

I chuckle to myself. "Hey, do you have any flashlights?" I jokingly ask Shorty.

He tilts his head in confusion. "Oh, you know. A light source," I explain, now giggling at the idea of Shorty helping with his own interrogation.

"I assume this has something to do with the 'interrogation'?"

I nod my head. Wait, is Shorty actually helping us with his interrogation?

He holds his paws out, sparks forming in front of them. Hang on, wasn't that used to take out that armored t-rex? The sparks expand to the size of a baseball before floating up. Woah, now that's cool. Wait, it's releasing tiny sparks every now and then. Not cool.

"Is this adequate?"

"Do you have any…alternatives?" I ask, thinking about the safety hazards of this method. Oh boy, I don't want to be fried cat.

He shakes his head. I pause in thought. Seems too dangerous for what we're doing.

"Nah, it's probably not worth the trouble," I declare, images of the dino crumbling to the ground flashing in my head. I do not want that to happen to Nova or I.

"Fine," he says, the ball of sparks lowering back into his paws. The sparks dissipate soon afterwards. I swear, it's like watching the thing form with the rewind button on.

Okay, so we don't have any bright lights. Oh well, I bet interrogations are nothing like the movies anyway. This will probably be the mildest one in history I bet. Of course it still needs to be called an interrogation.

"Ready Sis." I turn around to find Nova on her hind legs, berry nowhere in sight. Either that, or she hid it (like she always did whenever we had asparagus). Not particularly hard to hide objects from me when I have trouble reading facial expressions. I'll just assume she finished it.

"Okay." I turn around to face the mouse. Nova walks to my right. Now let's begin.

"We'll be answering a few questions now Shorty. I would advise that you answer truthfully," I instruct.

He nods his head. "Okay." Gee whiz, not even the slightest bit of doubt. I would call it confidence, except his tone isn't exactly what one would call smug. Unnervingly (not to mention suspiciously) calm is more like it. Need to shake him up a bit first.

"Where were you the night of November 18th at the eighteenth hour?!" I shout rapidly the first thing that comes into my head. I see movement, but I can't tell what.

"Did he flinch?" I whisper to Nova.

She snickers before wholeheartedly responding with a confident 'yep'. Well, mission accomplished. Better move on to the next question before she asks how many cool spy and crime movie I've been watching recently.

"Never mind that question," I command indifferently. "Let's start out with something easy now. Pink berry used before, what is it?"

There's a pause. "Uhh," he squeaks. Okay, he's still shocked about the first question I guess.

"A Pecha berry. It cures a poison status," he answers after a few seconds, all surprise from before gone from his voice. Ah well, that was fun while it lasted.

I turn to Nova. She nods in response. Okay, not dumb enough to lie to that question. That's a start.

"Correct. Next question," I say, feeling like a game show host for a second or two. "What is this place called?" I feel tired of calling it Oz anyway.

"Grass Continent."

I ignore my little sister jumping up and down shouting 'I knew it'. "No, I mean this place in general. Like the planet, or something like that." I hope he knows about planets, otherwise things might get confusing quickly.

"Honestly, our world doesn't exactly have an official name. Many of us just call it the Pokémon World, though there is a minority that classifies it as Universe 1A." Okay, I'm not going to say Universe 1A, so Pokémon World will have to do.

"Next question. What exactly are we?" I ask, thinking that 'fluffy cat' wouldn't exactly be the official term.

"At the moment you two are Pokémon, but I'm assuming you want a more detailed explanation." He points to Nova. "You're a zorua, the deemed 'tricky fox' Pokémon." He points to me. "You're a glameow, the deemed 'catty' Pokémon."

Sounds about right. "And what are you?" Need to make sure that information is all right an all.

He puts a paw to his chest. "I'm a pikachu. The deemed 'mouse' Pokémon."

Nova steps in for the next question. "Is the Pokémon world para...paralyzed?"

Okay, I have no clue what she was talking about. I raise a brow at her in question. "Huh the what?"

She turns to me, completely tense with fright. Or maybe I'm completely wrong here. I need to find some glasses around here. "It describes a land in complete standstill. Wind never blown, the sun never moves, and the colors all fade to dull gray. It happens when time gets permanently destroyed."

Time destroyed? How in the world could that be possible? And didn't Nova get this from a kid's game? I am so going to have to double check all her games when we get home.

But what if time was destroyed? If what Nova described did occur, then that would describe the Pokémon world to a T. Something is definitely eerie about the lack of wind and actual color we've seen ever since we've got here.

"That assumption is false," Shorty answers. Nova and I sigh in relief.

"At the moment, the Pokémon world is currently in a state of cryonics, not paralysis. Time merely moves at such a slow rate that it's unnoticeable. How do you know something so specific such as the planet's paralysis?"

Hang on. We're interrogating him, NOT the other way around. I almost speak out when Nova raises a paw to cut me off. "I, uh, heard of possible side effects of such an event. I also know what causes it too," she states. Whatever was the cause can't be good. I make a mental note to ask her later on about what other things were in those games of hers beside sunshine-and-rainbow gameplay. There better not be any killing in those games.

"So you know about the existence of Temporal Tower? For a human, you know more than average about the Pokémon world."

Nova widens her eyes in shock (I think). I guess time breaking has something to do with this time tower thing.

"I assume you already know about how its destruction can lead to paralysis?"

Nova nods her head. "Yeah, but how does that tie in to the planet's cry-on-nails?"

"Cryonics," he corrects. "At this point, the tower still stands. That's why time still functions. Time itself, however, cannot be maintained by solely the tower's power. There needs to be a vessel that can support pure time energy in order for time to stabilize. Since there is none, the tower fell into a sort of fail-safe mechanism. A small enough portion of time is used to prevent permanent damage to the time-space continuum until a new vessel can be obtained."

What? Now he's all of the sudden talking about 'vessels' as if we were at a resurrection site or something. That's it. If this mouse starts talking about sacrifices, I'm out of here, and taking my little sister with me.

"Wait. Doesn't Dialga control time? If there's nobody to control time, then doesn't the mean…" She cuts herself off as her eyes widen in realization. I even notice her ears move downwards as they droop.

"Yes. Dialga is dead. And so are any other legends capable of controlling time."

"HANG ON!" I shout. "Who is this 'Dialga' guy? And who are the legends?" I don't feel comfortable with being this lost in a conversation.

"Dialga is a Pokémon capable of controlling the very fabric of time as its vessel. As for the legends, they are a rare group of individuals of similar capabilities. They are vessels capable of absorbing and utilizing specific types of pure energy," Shorty explains.

Wow, those 'legends' seem very important. I hope they aren't sacrifices. "So, I guess cutting down one of these 'legends' is bad?" I ask.

"Devastatingly so. It could cause an imbalance in reality. The cryonics status would actually be considered merely a minor side effect."

Minor side effect? Gee whiz, I hate to see those major side effects, though I have a feeling I already have.

"So, how many Legendary Pokémon are left?" Nova asks.

"None."

"WHAT?!" My little sister and I both shout at once. Ho boy, there goes reality.

"Hang on, isn't reality still standing? After all, we're here. Aren't we?" I say.

Shorty pauses, most likely assessing his phrasing before continuing. "Just because the legends are gone does not mean there aren't other vessels currently existing. The Pokémon world's current vessels are just…limited in their abilities at the moment."

"And what do you mean by limited?" I ask.

"At the moment, they can't do much of anything. Many are hunted down for execution as a potential threat." Execution? Da…er, darn, this got dark real quickly.

"If none of the Legendary Pokémon are still alive, then who are these other 'vessels'?" Nova asks, still in shock from earlier.

Shorty's ear twitches before he sighs. "Would it be a surprise to say that most of the legends have kin?"

For a second, I don't do anything as I process what he said. Okay, really powerful world maintainers are dead, and they have kids. HANG ON!

"WHAT?!" I shout. Nova screams the same phrase a couple seconds later.

"I guess it is a surprise then," Shorty comments. "I'm assuming you want further explanation, or is that enough questions for now?"

"Latter. Too much mind-boggling info at once," I decide. I'll ask about the details later when I actually processed what he said.

"Sh-should we continue with t-the questions S-Sis?" Nova stutters, still recovering. I guess those facts were a little harsher on her than me. She knows more about the Pokémon world than I do.

"Right," I say. Might try to wrap this up soon. "Okay then Shorty. How do you know all this stuff?"

He pauses yet again. "I happen to work for 'her majesty'. You learn quite a few things if you're lucky enough."

"Eh? What's with this majesty?" I say, totally confused. First, he talks about kids of super-duper powerful individuals. Now, he's talking about monarchs? What's next, warlords?

"Let me elaborate. In the Pokémon World, we currently have a monarch deemed the title 'The Pokémon Queen'. I work for her. Well, I'm most likely fired now, after that stunt I just pulled."

"You mean when you saved us from that aggron?" Nova asks, now at least somewhat recovered. He nods. "Why do that?"

He reaches into his cloak, pulling out a small book in the process. "Simple. You're a human," he says, as if that reason makes the most sense in the world. "Or at least you were one."

"And what does being human have to do anything with that?" I ask.

"Everything. You see, humans in this world have a reputation. Most are summoned to prevent crises, but all humans share a commonality."

He holds the book to us, pointing to various sections as he goes on. "End of the First Era ended around the time the first human was summoned. Beginning of the Era of Explorers, human summoned. Astral anomalies, human solved. A world conquest involving multi-berried pies in catapults…"

"Uh…" Nova and I both comment.

"Don't ask. Again, human summoned. And the beginning of this era, deemed the Fallen Era." He sighs. "A human was summoned around that time too."

"Can you please tell us your point from all this?" I ask, although I'm still imagining how anyone could pull of the pie invasion one.

"Every time a human is summoned, the world changes, for better or for worse. You two are human, so the world will most likely change again sometime soon. I wouldn't be surprised if your arrival has already started a major chain of events."

"So you just expect us to be here and make this place all better?" I growl, keeping my tone low.

"To put it bluntly, yes. Though I will be realistic in thinking that process will take time."

"TAKE TIME?! We don't have time! Literally! Look, my little sister and I understand that this is a serious problem in your world, but we both have lives. Lives in which we need to get back to as soon as possible. We don't know what to do, so go find more competent humans or something."

"I would imagine humans are quite capable either way, given their success rate at fulfilling our superstitions about them. Plus…I wouldn't really recommend asking to be sent back at the moment."

"And why's that?!" I practically (okay, maybe literally) shout.

"The only individual with such knowledge currently is the Pokémon Queen, and she wants you two dead. Okay, maybe just the Zorua since she may not be aware of there being two humans around this time, but that's beside the point. Go see her and you'll be killed."

"Can't we just ask nicely to her? We won't be bothering her if we leave. We'll even give her a stack of those healing berries or something to make it worth her trouble."

"It doesn't work like that. You two have knowledge and potential to cause future problems to her rule. She summoned the Zorua here to be taken care of immediately while she was still adjusting."

"What?" Nova asks surprised. "She summoned me? Why?"

"That I'm not certain, but I would suspect you have some sort of ability to use against her. As a future potential threat, she decided to take care of you now rather than later."

"That is a stupid plan. Make the completely unaware possible threat have a reason to become an actual threat. Yeah, great plan," I comment.

"Monarch she may be, but sane she is most certainly not. She's dangerous though, as well as ludicrously powerful. I wouldn't want to be anywhere near her if I were you."

I just realized something said earlier. "Hey! How come she might not know about me?!"

Shorty tilts his head. "Never in Pokémon history has there ever been records of two humans being summoned at once. You somehow were summoned as well, though I would suspect your sister was the primary target. She's well informed about the Pokémon World already."

Okay, that makes some degree of sense. Plenty of pieces still don't fit right though, mostly involving how suspicious Shorty is. His motives seem off to me.

"Okay then Shorty. I have a few last questions left here." I try to straighten up so I seem taller. "Why was the armored t-rex nearby when we woke?" I suspect it has something to do with the monarch, but you can never be too certain.

"At the time, he was monitoring me to make certain I dispatched the human. He works for 'her majesty' as well, though he doesn't have a high rank. I suspect the task of monitoring got to his head a little."

Dispatched? Okay, this little mouse was supposed to kill my little sister. Had he actually took the initiative to follow orders, Nova would definitely be dead right now. I'm certain of that, especially after seeing him take down that dino. Oh man, I'm so relieved he disobeyed the monarch now.

"And what will you do now?" Nova asks. I have a feeling we both know the answer. We just want confirmation.

"Try to prevent you two from getting killed. In this world with your combat skills, you two wouldn't last a day alone. You nearly ran through my supply of sleep seeds, an item in which should only be used in extreme emergencies. You two need training."

"So you're coming with us Shorty?"

"Yes."

"Good then," I state. As suspicious as he is, I would rather not be dead. "Okay then, have any idea where to go?"

He points away from the mountains, almost back where we originally came from except more to the left. "There's civilization over in that direction, as well as a port. The port can lead to another continent, where there's a guild. That can provide some form of protection."

"A guild?!" Sis cheers, jumping up and down in joy. "It's probably not Wigglytuff's, but I don't care! It's. A. GUILD!"

I sigh as my little sister continues her celebration. I'm not going to ask. At times it's best not to do so. So I won't ask.

Sis pauses as a thought occurs to her. She races back to us. "Sorry we forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Nova, and this is my older sister, Al—"

I cut her off so I can just stick with my nickname. "My friends call me Aya." I hear a snicker behind me. "Aw come on sis! You know I prefer my nickname!" I shout.

I turn to the mouse. "Well, we introduced ourselves. Your turn Shorty."

He sighs in response. "You do realize I'm average height for a Pikachu?" Nova and I give him a blank stare. No, he's still the smallest one here, even though Nova and I are now only couple feet tall. He's still Shorty.

"Fine. My name is…uh…" He stares up at the cloudy gray sky for a second or two. "Oh yeah. It's Shadow," he says.

I give him another blank stare. "Dude. It sounds like you totally made that name up out of the blue." Far too suspicious. That can't be Shorty's actual name here.

His ears perk up. "It's not! That's what I'm called," he practically squeaks.

"Alright then. Shadow it is," I say. At least it's similar enough to 'Shorty' to remember easily.

"Onward to adventure?" Nova asks, holding a paw out in between all three of us as if we were a team.

Team? Yeah, I don't mind being a team here. Shadow's still suspicious in my books, but he's way better than other company (I'm talking to you, Dino!). While I wouldn't want my little sister in this cutthroat place, there's apparently nothing I can do about that. I couldn't ask for a better little sister. Okay, maybe I could, but it wouldn't be the same.

I put my tail on top of her paw. Shadow pauses for a second before adapting. He places a paw on top of my tail.

"Yeah! Let's go team!" Nova shouts before drooping her ears in thought. "Hey Shadow?"

"What?"

"Does this guild have exploration teams?" He nods. "Is it possible that the three of us register as an exploration team?" Okay, what is she talking about?

Shadow's ear tilts in thought. "I don't think it would hurt too much. It could help with training anyway."

Nova practically beams with his response. "Alright! Let us be exploration team, uh…" She pauses. "What would be a good team name?"

"Well, a lot of these events do seem a little bit predetermined here," I comment "Why not something along the lines of that?"

"Predetermined? Doesn't that describe fate?" Shadow asks.

"Fate," Nova repeats as if she's testing out how the word sounds. "Bound by fate?

"Fate-bound!" she exclaims. "Team Fate-bound! How does that sound to you two?" Shadow looks down and shrugs his shoulders. I wholeheartedly support Nova's idea.

"Alright! Then we'll be Team Fate-bound!" Nova announces.

Though we pledge to be a team, I still keep the thought of finding a way back home in mind. I promise to myself to find a way home, for both my little sister and I.


	7. 7: Training

Chapter 7: Training

"We're going to a guild! I can't believe it, we're going to a guild! And we're going to be an exploration team! YAHOO!"

"Um. Nova?" Sis inches towards me as I turn to face her. "I know you're excited and all, but could you please turn it down a notch here. Who knows what might end up finding us."

I immediately stop and cover my mouth with my paws. "Sorry," I whisper, my hind paws quickly tapping on the ground. I fail to hold back a giggle. This is going to be great!

"What's so exciting about a guild anyway?" Sis asks as her head tilts to the side. "And what is an exploration team?"

I stop and stare at her blankly before I realize she wouldn't know anything about exploration teams or exploring guilds. "Well, where do I begin? There's so much exploration teams cover! You take on job requests, and do all sorts of things! And—"

"Whoa there Little Sis. Try to keep the voice and rambling level down," she whispers. "I'm not taking any chances here. I don't want to handle that dino or anything like that until we reach that port."

I nod my head. I don't want to encounter anything similar too. Not until we actually learn some moves. Didn't Shadow say something earlier about Sis and I needing training? Wouldn't it be important to start covering that as soon as possible?

I rush over to the pikachu until I'm right next to him. I glance back at the ten yard distance before beginning. "Hey Shadow," I say, making at effect to keep my volume at a reasonable level.

He turns his head to face me, ear tilting to the side. "What is it?"

"When are we going to start training? I mean, shouldn't we know at least a little on how to fight before arriving at the guild?"

He looks up in thought. "I was honestly hoping to begin training at the port, since I think there's a good market area with a dojo nearby." His ears droop. "Doesn't seem like the best short-term solution though."

"Because that dino from earlier might come back, right?" Sis says from behind as she catches up with the two of us. We stop to wait for her. When she catches up, all three of us continue side by side, with me in the middle.

"The aggron's had enough time to report back to his superiors. We could easily have worse opponents face us," Shadow replies as he crosses his arms.

"All the more reason to start training now," Sis points out, her voice raising slightly and coiled tail flicking furiously.

I nod my head, but there really doesn't seem to be a good solution to handling this situation at all. We might get attacked while training, or we might get attacked with our defenses down because we didn't train. It's a lose-lose situation either way if we encounter an opponent, especially if we're attacked by a ground type.

"Is there some kind of item we can use?" I ask, glancing around the path for anything useful.

Shadow's ears perk and he frowns. "Actually, I do have an item that might help." Before Sis demands its use, he holds up a paw. "But I have only one, and it's only found in a specific area."

"So it's hard to find? Is that why you haven't told us about it?" I ask, my ears perking up at the available solution.

His ears droop as he looks at the stone-colored ground. "Actually, I completely forgot about that option," he mumbles.

"Well, why don't we find a nice level area of land or something and start training?!" Sis declares. She dashes forward. "Come on you two! We can find the perfect area if we hurry!"

We rush forward after her on all fours, past the small rocky hills and occasional trees. I even see a small body of water in the distance, most likely a river. I nearly fall into a hole when the ground crumbles in front of us. Shadow and I both hold onto the edge of the newly-formed hole as Sis pulls us up. Good thing she's gotten used to using her tail. We slow our pace afterwards.

Past a small cluster of trees, we finally find good training ground. It's a small meadow full of dry grass. Of course, it really isn't that different compared to all the other grass we've found so far. Sis rushes to the center of the meadow. "This looks like a great spot to begin training," she proudly declares as her coiled tail unwinds and flicks back and forth. "Now what was that item you were talking about from earlier?"

Shadow reaches into his cloak and pulls out an orb. It's some form of a wonder orb, an object that can cause various side effects when used in a mystery dungeon, depending on what type of wonder orb it is. For example, a petrify orb could prevent opponents in the same room from attacking or moving. That is, until they're hit.

"This is called a rift orb," he explains. "It's actually a recent development in item technologies. It's a wonder orb that more or less temporarily creates a miniature mystery dungeon when used."

"Woah." I stare in awe at the orb. That sounds so cool, but…

I cock my head to the side. "Why would creating a mystery dungeon help us?"

"Mystery dungeons create rifts in the time-space continuum. I suspect this orb was developed using that knowledge. It separates the area affected from the continuum temporarily so nothing can enter or escape until its effects wear off."

"Huh?" Sis and I both say.

"Consider it as being stuck inside a sturdy box, except with a time limit."

"Ah, so it's a snow globe. Should have said that in the first place," Sis comments.

"A what?" he asks. He shakes his head after pausing for a few seconds. "Never mind. I'll go activate the rift orb. I would suggest getting ready for battle while you wait."

I nod my head in response. Sis stares wide eyed. "Hang on! Who said anything about actual BATTLE?!" she yells.

"What did you think it would be, lectures and combat demonstrations?" Shadow replies. Sis flinches back.

He sighs as he takes out a knife while tapping the rift orb with his other paw. "Lesson one of combat is that you can't learn how to fight by simply _watching._ It means finding your own use of your physical capabilities in a way unique to its user. You hone skills through running through basic practice maneuvers until it's an instinctive reaction. A lecture won't save your life when faced with a serious opponent."

He hits the blade against the orb. We wait a few seconds, but the ball remains undented. "Uh, Shadow?" I ask. "Is that how you're supposed to activate the rift orb?"

As soon as I finish, I begin to hear a whirling sound. The orb levitates out of Shadow's paws, glowing a swirling combination of bright teal and dull pink. Is that supposed to happen too?

' _ACTIVATION REQUEST RECEIVED.'_ I hear a metallic, monotone voice say. ' _WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACTIVE THE…'_ There is a slight pause in speech as I hear another monotone voice say 'rift', and then it comes back to the metallic voice. ' _ORB_ '. It sounded like something you would hear on an answering machine.

All three of us stare at the wonder orb in shock. "Okay," Sis begins. "Okay. It actually talked. The inanimate object talked to us. Is it supposed to do that?" Surprisingly, Shadow and I both shrug our shoulders.

"Great. Both of you have no clue." We nod. "Well, got any ideas?" We shake our heads. "Great. Let me try one here."

Before we could object, she tries her idea. "YES!" she says, making sure to sound clear and audible, not to mention loud.

The orb's colors stop swirling as it dims. When it turns nearly gray, I hear a cracking sound. The orb emits a blinding light as it shatters. I cover my eyes, but I can feel the air and ground change around me. It's as if the very fabric of reality shifted.

When I uncover my eyes, I can't find a difference. There's the flat clearing (gray as ever) with the three of us and to the distance…

All I can see is a gigantic blur. It's as if somebody used an industrial-sized smudge stick on the background. I think I understand what Shadow meant earlier about the orb acting like a sturdy box. I don't believe anything can get to where we are now.

"It worked!" Sis cheers. "Now, what did you have in mind for this training Shadow? I assume you have a plan here."

"I think he's still processing things Sis," I point out. Shadow does sort of has his mouth wide open and paw up in objection still.

It takes him a few seconds before he slowly lowers his paw. "Jumping into things is not the ideal strategy you know?" he finally responds.

"We can talk about strategy later." Sis changes the subject. "We're on a time limit. We have a lot to learn, so we should get started ASAP." He tails starts to repeatedly tap on the ground.

"I have no idea what that last part meant, but you're right. With the time limit from the rift orb, we need to start training immediately," Shadow says. "Get into a battle position you believe appropriate. We'll start off with assessing your current skills."

I stare at him blankly. "Um, Shadow? Why would we need to start training with looking at our current battle skills?" I ask. "I mean, we already know it's practically nothing, so we would start with the very basics anyway."

Sis turns to me. "Simple Nova," she explains. "He wants to know our strengths and weaknesses in battle, assuming we're not totally rock-bottom on all levels." Oh. That makes sense. I wonder what our battle strengths are. What are zoruas good at in battle, besides making illusions?

"Correct. It's more effective to develop a battle style that emphasizes on your strengths, as well as focus on improving weak points. To create a battle style, you need to understand your own specialties in combat," Shadow explains while unhooking his cloak. "Thusly, there will only be a few rules for this exercise.

"You two will work as a team, and I will be your opponent." My ears immediately droop. Didn't Sis tell me he took down that Aggron from earlier? The one that knocked me out in one hit?

Sis takes a step forward. "Hang on there! Shouldn't Nova and I battle against ourselves before taking on someone who knows what they're doing?"

Shadow shakes his head. "I don't want you two to hold back in this exercise. Given what I've seen so far, that will happen if you two battled as you suggested. Besides, I haven't gone over all the rules yet."

He holds up a paw, counting as he lists the rules. "Rule number one: as states earlier, you two will work as a team. That will test collaboration. Rule number two: I will be your opponent. Rule number three: I will be limiting myself. The only maneuver I can use is thundershock, and only three times."

"So, you won't be attacking?" I ask.

"Incorrect. I'll mainly be battling using paws and feet. It's a basic technique that's often ignored in battle. Most use the most effective maneuvers to overpower opponents, however it often leaves major breaks in their defenses when they stop to apply those techniques. Using a move, or maneuver, as an extension of a basic strategy reduces the issue."

Fighting without moves still makes Shadow a tough opponent. I can tell he values tactics and strategy, so he most likely has a plan for almost every situation. Emphasis on almost; the aggron caught him off guard with the poisoning technique.

I don't think he's the sort to fall for the same trick twice, so using a similar technique would be useless. How do you beat someone who understands battle more than you do? Find a detail not yet covered? That won't be easy.

"Shadow. Tangent here. Back on track with the rules," Sis points out as she continues to tap her tail on the ground.

Shadow's ears droop. "Umm, sorry about that there. Apparent explanation habit here." He quickly continues.

"The next rule. Rule four, wasn't it? Anyway, the battle will stop if anybody becomes too injured, or I deem the evaluation of your skills as complete. Note that this will require some degree of cooperation from you two to stop the exercise.

"As far as I'm aware, the next one is the last rule. That rule being you two not holding back on your attacks. It's difficult to determine your potential skills if you hold back." Sis and I holding back's not the problem here. Gulp.

"Are you two ready to begin the exercise?" I don't shake my head. I just follow along with Sis and agree, almost mechanically. I tell myself this is only a practice battle, but that doesn't alleviate the fear possessing me.

I don't register when I'm tripped until I hit the ground back-first. The impact is nothing near as painful compared to last time I was attacked. I get back on my hind paws; I hop a little when I'm standing. I see the yellow blur under my feet for a second. Huh, Shadow decided to knock off my balance by swinging his hind paw in a wide arch.

Once I'm back on the ground, I take a few frantic steps back to be on the safe side. The mouse doesn't attack again though. He has to deal with Sis.

She shouts a battle cry as she charges at him. She leaps, aiming to attack him with a headbutt. She doesn't land the hit; he steps to the side as soon as her paws are off the ground.

When she realizes her attack's failed, she lands her paws on the ground. Loose grass flies as she skids on the ground. "Got any ideas Sis?!" she shouts rapidly before turning around, extending her tail in the process.

Sis charges once again at Shadow, this time using her tail instead of her head. I rush forward to help as she throws the first punch…er, whatever the tail version of punching is. It would have hit Shadow right in the head, had he not step sided.

For the next attack, she goes for the head again. Only this time, she goes from the side instead of the front, like how I was tripped earlier. I freeze up, taking a step back before deciding to see what I can do from the sidelines. At this point, being too close to this dual might cause more harm than good.

I could try to use a move. Something from a distance, or something to slow Shadow down, like scary face? I try to give Shadow the meanest look I can, but it's just an expression, nothing more.

I growl as he ducks and invades Sis's attack. Can't he just slow down so we can land a hit already? Something clicks on in my brain like a lightbulb. No, not just the brain. The brains just the core. I try to reach out to it, coaxing it to aid me. At first, nothing happens, but I won't give up. I reach out to it again, and again, and again.

With one last attempt, it finally reacts. My expression doesn't change, and I don't really feel any stronger, but I can feel it active in my head, something flowing in my vision. I concentrate on Shadow before I let it loose.

He doesn't slow down. Perhaps he stumbles for a fraction of a second, but that doesn't do anything. I reach out to it again, but I don't get a reaction this time. I sigh, looking back to the battle rather than my own failed attempts at help.

Sis aims for the front again; same reaction as before. She flicks her tail while pulling it back; further step-siding. Every attack she tries is dodged.

How do you defeat someone who knows how to react to mostly every situation?

You catch them off guard, but how? It's not like he'll suddenly stop observing the battle…

…Or maybe he can. Shadow just needs a distraction from battle. Well, either distractions are my specialty, or I'm not a zorua. I snicker and pick the first thing that pops into my mind. "Soda pops!" I shout with an extra effort to make my words clear.

Sis glares at me. "Not the best time for pranks Sis," she says as she turns back to the fight. I frown at the outcome to that idea.

I still continue. "The history of April fools. Showers and flowers. No homework for the summer." Sis grits her teeth and growls before launching another attack.

There's a sparking sound. Sis's attack actually hit. Sort of. A downward slash is stopped with Shadow's lightning-shaped tail, though she does come extremely close to hitting his ear too. With Sis's tail halted temporarily, he uses one of his three opportunities for an electric attack.

I'm thankful Sis is still standing, but she's obviously taken damage from the attack. She could also be paralyzed, which would reduce her speed. Judging by the electric sparks occasionally radiating from her fur, I would say our luck isn't too swell.

Shadow's not attacking. He's got four paws on the ground, and is arching his back. I doubt he normally does that. He said so himself earlier about not stopping to perform attacks. He essentially explained his entire battle style to Sis and I. He wouldn't stop his attacks without a reason. When is he going to attack next?

Oh wait. He's answered that question too, this time in his actions. The tactical thinker who sets up rules to cover most situations and seems to constantly weigh the options. He's cautious, and he's waiting to see what I'll do.

Now what? This pause will not last forever. Sooner or later, someone's going to attack. I doubt Sis can recover from paralysis fast enough to do the attacking. That means for team humans, the one attacking will have to be…me?

Team humans is doomed.

 _It's only training,_ I tell myself as I take a step forward. Before I can back down, I make sure to go into a full four-legged (and still awkward) sprint. It's only a simple training match, but I need to give it everything I've got.

I charge forward, imagining Sis going in for the headbutt like earlier. I can barely keep my paws from tripping. I keep telling myself to put one foot…paw in front of the other, and it helps. I need all the accuracy I can get, so I don't leap from the ground.

I can see Shadow leaning towards the right as I charge. He sidesteps the attack. When I turn around a second later, he's not there.

I don't see him behind me either. I back away with just enough time to evade the electrical attack from above. So he's above me, with another electrical attack down. He has only one left. I know the mouse is above me, and I have a few seconds before he lands somewhere and attacks again.

I take the opportunity to rush towards Sis. She's still in the same position fighting off the paralysis. I won't be able to win on my own.

I get about halfway before I get tripped again. This time, it's accompanied by an electrical charge. With so many volts of electricity running through me, I fall the ground, and don't have the strength to get back up. Luckily, I'm not close to passing out.

I suddenly find something blue in front of my face. Oh, that's an Oran berry. Although I can't get up, I can at least grasp the healing fruit. It takes an effort to open my mouth wide enough to actually eat the thing, and I flinch as I chew. The pain subsides soon after.

"The exercise is over," Shadow declares. I droop my ears and place a paw to my face thinking about how unsuccessful my ideas were.

He puts on his cloak as he hands Sis a Cheri berry for the paralysis. With our combined efforts, we couldn't land a single hit. He was way too fast for us to keep up with. Wait, if he was that fast…

"Hey, Shadow?" I ask. I wait before going on. "You're more geared towards using your speed in battle, right?"

His eyes widen slightly as he answers. "Correct."

The pieces begin to fall into place. One attack after another nonstop. The caution. Especially the dodging. "So you basically keep dodging attacks while hoping not to get hit and lash out every now and then until you know your opponent's patterns, right?" He tenses as I continue. "Then, you deliver attacks at as high power as possible to knock them out. Am I right?"

He droops his ears as he sighs. "Yes," he answers reluctantly. "You were making observations during combat as well?"

"We both were," Sis says before using her tail to eat the paralysis-healing fruit. "Well, obviously Nova did better than I did. All I could come up with was that you really didn't seem to be thinking about the actual training all that much. You honestly could have done better. Especially with the counter with the tail. You actually almost got hit by that."

Shadow's reacting to the comments. The ears perking up don't lie. "Curious," he mumbles flatly.

"You also have a terrible poker face Shorty," Sis joyously comments.

"A what?" he asks. Well, more like squeaks.

Before Sis or I can reply, he regains his composure. "Never mind the human terms. What's important is that the exercise is completed."

Sis stretches her paws as she continues to recover. "Well, what's the verdict?"

"A complete analysis," he says with a small smile. "Though you both are vastly different in your battling styles."

He points to Sis first. "Aya has reasonable defenses, and can take on attacks at a higher power, though she lacks the attack power and accuracy for frontline offense."

"Well, SORRY!" Sis interrupts sarcastically. "It's a little hard to aim and hit the mark when the world has a slight blur to it."

"Which is why you would have to aim for using attacks and maneuvers that are harder to dodge, preferably more along the lines of using your tail instead of tackling," Shadow counters. "If you manipulated your fights to turn into a pure battle of stamina, you would gain an advantage over your opponents. Again, the tail strategy you've already developed could be used effectively in those situations.

"Compared to Nova, you two are exact opposites in battle. Maybe that's why you two weren't completely in sync for this battle. We'll have to work on that in the future too. Anyway, Nova's has more strength in offense, and little in defense."

I perk up my ears waiting for the full analysis, but that's it. I frown, unconvinced that was everything. He seems a little bit too tense. He figured out something, and is now hiding it from us two humans. There's most likely a reason for that, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I would recommend for future training facing each other while focusing on improving your weaknesses, but I have a feeling you two would try to hold back then. However, that might be the best solution we have when we're at that port. We'll need to work something out when we get to the guild."

"And for when we're not at the port…?" Sis prompts, her tail twirling around in a circle as if it's her hand.

"We'll get some rest. I bet the exercise exhausted you two. I'll wake you two when the rift orb's effects have worn off," he says.

"And how do you know you're not going to oversleep?" Sis asks, her voice full of skepticism. I give Sis a worried look, but she doesn't notice.

"I'll figure something out," Shadow replies stiffly. Sis glances at me with a sarcastic look on her face. I give Sis a pleading look again, but she narrows her eyes and huffs as she curls up into a sleeping position. At least she'll tolerate things, for now at least.

I place my head gently on the surprisingly comfortable grass and stretch my hind paws out. I take a glance around the field. The grass almost seems to go on forever, the blurs of the mountains seem even further away. Some are small enough to see, while other blurs reach practically beyond the sky. They look almost like castles instead of mountains. Or even fortresses. I giggle at the thought of the word's Pokémon-pronounced equivalent.

I hear Sis snoring already. Either she's asleep, or she knows how to fake it. I hate to say it, but I wouldn't be surprised if she actually did that. I remember how she looked after me when we were kids. Not much has changed, even after she finished college. I smirk as I recall the older days.

I remind myself of the newer days that may come, where Sis, Shadow, and I will go off on many great adventures and explore new places. We'll find a way to defeat the Pokémon Queen and make everyone happy. Then, we'll have to find a way back home. And then we'll have to eventually leave all those adventures behind.

Who knows how long it will take to find a way back home. By then, many months would have already passed, if not years. We would already be used to living here by then. Would we really want to leave when the time comes to do so? I know I wouldn't, and I have a feeling Sis will eventually get used to this place, so she might have some reluctance too.

I look at Sis, her back facing me. I sigh, turning around as I shut my eyes, ignoring my worries on if the team will ever be able to work together.


	8. 8: Keep Calm and Don't Mess Up

Chapter 8: Keep Calm and Don't Make Mistakes

I expected the humans to clunk out fast asleep. Combat is physically straining, especially when one is the primary receiver of attacks. Many decide to rest after long complex battles. With the effects of the rift orb still intact, it was the perfect opportunity for Aya and Nova to rest.

What I did not anticipate, however, was the possibility that I would fall asleep as well.

"No offense, but you know you should really learn this thing called limitations. Right?" the feline points out.

My ears sag. "Well, at least nothing happened," Nova cheers.

I wince, tempted to take a step from the human. One thing any sane Pokémon should never do is remain near any potential threats, and humans are amongst the biggest threats because of their above-average potential.

"No need to be so down. Everybody makes mistakes." she says.

"But even the tiniest of mistakes can cost us our lives," I argue, shivering as I imagine all the ways things could go wrong.

"Well, this particular one didn't," Aya says. "How far are we from that port anyway?"

I look to the short hill up ahead. We should be reaching the shore soon, but I could be wrong. I've been picking up the faint sound of waves for quite a while. I sniff the air. It seems cleaner than before.

"We're close." I climb the rest of the hill quickly on all fours. Even the dull-colored grass feels different.

Once I reach the top, I find my suspicions correct. As the hill slopes downwards, sand begins to take the place of grass. After the end of the hill is a wide shore. And beyond the shore…

Is absolutely nothing besides the occasional Pokémon and the gray ocean.

"Strange. I thought the port was here," I mumble. "Was the information I received false?"

"Either we've got the wrong place, or we have different definitions for the term 'port,'" Aya comments. "Oh well. I'll just ask the locals. Come on Nova!"

Nova, who was staring at the scene in awe, immediately rushes to her sister's side. "Can we stop by the bluff too Sis?!"

My ears shoot up. "No! Wandering too far from the crowd would be dangerous!"

"Fine." The fox's ears droop slightly before perking up again. "But with the crowd keeping us safe, maybe it would be better to split up and cover more ground."

"That sounds like a good idea Sis," Aya says before I can object. Then, they're off.

I sigh before putting my hood on and crawl towards the beach on all fours. It seems ridiculous, but it should help with blending in with the scenery more than a yellow-with-purple hide will.

I pick up bits and pieces of conversation. A lileep brags about its new scarf to a volcarona wearing a necklace. A vanillish complains about how cold the beach is to a trio of kingdra. A darumaka fights with a doduo over a big apple. Yep, most of these are regular civilians.

"Have you heard the news? Groundbreaker struck again." My ears perk as I turn to a cubchoo. The tiny blue bear gives an Oran berry to a gourgeist.

"Yeah. I heard," says the ghost pumpkin as it sneezes. "Five of her majesty's troops found Groundbreaker, but it still got away."

The snot-dripping bear shook its head. "No, that's a different one. This time, Groundbreaker was found right near her majesty's front door. Got away again though."

"No way Chill. How do you find all this info?" the ghost sneezes again.

"Pure luck I guess." The cubchoo shrugs.

I don't listen to more of the conversation. I shake my head a little before moving on

Nothing of interest comes up. I start searching for the humans, who are both surprisingly easy to find. Aya is keeping watch over Nova from a distance, most likely so the fox won't notice.

"INCOMING!" someone yells. I turn to find a loose fire attack heading right for me. I charge energy to my paws for a quick attack, only I can't feel the energy flow. I would flinch at my discovery, except I can't move either.

The world blurs for a moment, but looks completely different in the next. It's like I'm in an entirely different area of the beach.

I see a bright flash of light further on the beach. That's the fire attack! Someone decided to teleport me. My stomach feels a little queasy upon that realization.

"Sorry about that." I lift my head up. There's a meowstic talking to me. "Normally I ask before teleporting others, but those were bad circumstances back there."

The snow-furred cat leans forward. "So you're a pikachu, huh? I've never seen that kind of sprite before. Little bit short for your species, right?"

"It's an average height," I respond a little quicker than I intended.

She chuckles. The fact that this particular meowstic is taller than average does not help matters. "Last I've heard, your species is supposed to be a little taller. Still got some more growing there kid?"

"I'm waiting for the last growth-spurt," I grumble. I'm still average height for my species. Just not for my age group.

She begins to circle me, almost in a dance. "Well, shouldn't you be waiting with you parents and not walking near safety hazards? Glass Isle is a pretty safe place, yes, but lately things have been, umm…not safe.

"Actually, that's how I got this bruise on my ear." she points to her right ear, the one that appears crimpled.

"Low incomes make it hard to support a family," I say. If this meowstic is a thief, this would be the big turn off.

"Aww, just part of a small family trying to survive," she cries in somewhat over exaggerated sympathy. "Is it your first time visiting?"

"Yes, but I heard there would be a port when I got to this beach. I don't see one." I attempt to gather information, though I do not enjoy this charade.

"Oh, you must mean Glass Isle," she says. "It's pretty much the only major trading station this side of the continent. Of course, the monarchy sponsors it, so most profits go to her anyway, but there's a whole lot of jobs there. It's practically a port town! No, a city!"

My ears perk up slightly. "And how do you get there?" I ask.

The meowstic dances around in Nova-reminiscent enjoyment. "From all over sweetie! There's water travel lines to practically every continent. This beach is just the only line on the grass continent. There should be a wailord or some water-type crew coming to pick everyone up any minute now."

"Oh." I avoid slapping a paw to my head.

I take out a poké and hand it to the meowstic. "That you for helping me out." I attempt to make the merriest voice I can. "Please take this for my gratitude."

The meowstic gently takes the coin. "Ah, sweetie. That's so nice. I hope you have a wonderful time on there."

I nod before racing off to find Nova and Aya. I find Nova first, and Aya 'conveniently' crosses our path when I begin to explain what I learned.

"So, let me get this straight," Aya states. "After almost getting yourself killed in that big out of control and 'completely normal' fight, you figure out that we're supposed to hop on a…what's the warlord thing?" She turns to her sibling.

"Wailord. It's a blue whale," Nova explains.

"Okay, this whale warlord to take us to this tropical shopping mall island. Do I have all that right?"

"Uh, maybe?" I reply with uncertainty, still thinking about the odd human terms.

Aya appears ready to object. She almost does so, but Nova interjects first. "Sounds better than anything we found," she cheers. "Right Sis?" She gives a knowing look to Aya.

Aya eyes widen and her jaw drops. "Wh-wh-what are you talking about?" she shrills in a failed attempt to hide her slipup.

Nova chuckles. "It's a little easy to figure out you're following me when you conveniently are there whenever I turn my back Sis."

"Well, you might wander off somewhere dangerous! Someone has to look out for you! And—"

She's interrupted by a loud, blaring noise. The volume itself is enough to blow the sand. Just when things seem calm, another ear-splitting voice stirs the sand once more.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE!" An exploud close to the ocean announces. I sigh to myself, covering my ears. "SORRY FOR THE DELAY, BUT THE WATER TRANSPORT LINE IS BACK IN BUSINESS. THAT BEING SAID, A WAILORD WILL BE HERE SOON TO PICK ALL OF YOU UP SHORTLY."

A gastrodon swims next to the walking noise machine and whispers something to him. The exploud whispers something back to the sea slug. The gastrodon nods as it comes ashore. It takes a deep breath.

"OKAY GUYS! THE WAILORD IS OUT SICK, BUT THE REST OF THE TRAVEL CREW IS STILL HERE, SO WE'LL START THE LOADING PHASE NOW!" the pink and brown sea slug shouts, much louder than the exploud before.

Several water Pokémon emerge, along with half a dozen avalugg. "WE WOULD APPRECHIATE IT IF EVERYONE FORMED A NICE ORDERLY LINE TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS! WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL STAY AT GLASS ISLE!" the gastrodon announces before going back into the ocean.

The Pokémon begin to file into lines, waiting to hop onto the transport Pokémon. I wait a few seconds before gesturing my paw forward, aiming for the middle of the line.

It takes a few rounds of travel before it's our turn. "The next FIVE Pokémon in line, please head to the AVALUGG TO THE LEFT. I repeat. Next FIVE Pokémon, head to the AVALUGG TO THE LEFT," the exploud announces.

"Looks like it's finally our turn," Aya says before paddling to the glacier. She climbs the Pokémon and waves to us. Nova hops in after her, making faster progress than her sister. She needs a little help from Aya climbing the avalugg though.

Now it's my turn. I place a hind paw in the water and immediately flinch back. The naturally flowing electrical energy current nearly stopped. It felt like I touched liquid rubber.

What would have happened if it wasn't just my hind paw in the water? Would all my electrical energy just cut out? It would cause complications if this were fatal. I doubt it's overly harmful. Can I even swim in this?

"Come on mouse! We don't have all day!" the exploud urges as he guides another group of passengers to an araquanid. I apologize to the announcer before I head back into the water.

It's definitely not fatal. I paddle further. I can swim through this, slowly but surely. I shiver at the fought of having to battle in this environment.

After what feels like hours to me, I finally reach the glacier. Nova helps me as I climb up. I thank her, heading immediately to the center of the icy surface. I sit down, making sure my front paws are touching the ice at all times. I shake myself a little.

"Don't like getting wet?" Aya asks me.

"Water and electricity are two elements which should never be combined," I reply, thinking back to the stopped electrical current.

Nova peers over the side of the glacier. "Hey, Shadow?" I perk my ears. She's about to say something, but looks around at the other passengers. The jigglypuff and zigzagoon aboard don't appear dangerous.

She leans forward and whispers, "Just what are the effects of this cryonics?" I give her a questioning look. "I m-mean, besides time. Shouldn't other things get messed up too if time does the same in Dialga's absence?"

I consider my wording before responding. "I guess you could say everything's essentially chaotic with nothing to control it."

The fox seems confused. I point to the sky. "See the gray-clouded sky?" She nods. "If you observe closely, you'll see the clouds move slightly."

After staring for a few moments, her ears twitch. "I didn't notice that."

"That's because you're only seeing a fraction of the movement. Those clouds are constantly moving at speeds we can't see. Without any vessels to control the air, the clouds move so rapidly over large areas, they block out the sun."

"Ah." She looks up for a minute. "Wait a minute. If the sun's corrupt too, wouldn't that maybe be a good thing for the sky to block everything?"

I imagine the sun blinding the drab, colorless place Universe 1A currently is. "The world is in the middle of a precarious balancing act, even when broken," I comment. "Why did you ask?"

She shrugs. "The ocean seems too calm. I was just curious if that was an effect of that legends-dying thing."

I nod. "So it is." I look to see Aya carefully watching us.

"Don't mind me. Just overhearing possibly vital information," she says.

The zigzagoon shifts from its flat resting position. "Can you guys please keep it down?" He shouts. "Some of us are trying to get some sleep!" He turns the other way as he returns to his nap. The jigglypuff merely glares at us.

As Aya quietly apologizes, I begin to ponder. Why so much potential in a human? Correction, in one human. The Pokémon Queen wants to eliminate a specific individual of a species known for their potential danger. How come only one human is a threat, while the rest of the masses aren't?

Perhaps there is a distinct difference between the zorua and the rest of her kind, but what could be different? Prior knowledge alone won't cut it. How about behavioral patterns?

I reach into my cloak and pull out an old black scroll. It's plain, and rather small for a scroll. I flip through the papers. I skim through the human timeline, stopping at around the middle. I breeze through the words.

 _Humans have different habits than Pokémon. Coming from a separate dimension, their lifestyle would be considered foreign in a Pokémon's viewpoint. They have different technologies, such as their fascinating wide-range telepathic substitute, the_ _tell-a-foe_ _telephone, and the alternative communication and information network, the_ _spider-net_ _internal-web_ _internet._

 _The major difference between humans and Pokémon is theorized to be the activity of their energy. In Pokémon, a variety of natural energies flows. The entire existence of Pokémon stems from the close and daily interactions with the environment. Humans, however, are from a different dimension. It's possible to believe the energies in the two worlds play completely different roles. When a human is sent to Universe 1A, they are turned physically into Pokémon, but they do not expend as much energy as native Pokémon._

 _Evidence of this theory has been shown in human actions. Pokémon obtain energy from the land to use for a sustainable supply of food, meaning a smaller rate of decline in hunger levels. Humans are known to become hungry more quickly, although this can be also be due to humans may not being used to Pokémon diets. In battle, humans often can't repeat an attack as much as the average amount. They tend to run out of natural internal energy more quickly, and don't develop techniques to reduce energy consumption until years later, which many Pokémon learn at a young age._

 _Lastly, this theory would explain human's unnatural powers._

"Um, Shadow? What are you reading?" Nova asks.

I squeak. This causes another bout of yelling from the tiny raccoon as it tries to nap. I quickly apologize. The event allows me to clear my head. "A scroll about humans," I quietly answer. "I was hoping it would have more information. About humans." I add quickly.

"Scrolls?" Nova repeats. "Uh, Shadow? Don't you mean books?" I give her a puzzled look.

"Huh, strange," Aya says from behind. I turn around and find here peering at my scroll. "There's footprints on the left page, and bizarre English on the right.

"Hang on here. O? No, H. U. M. Human. Wait, extra letter. Humans," she mumbles.

"You can read unown?" I ask. I look between the cat and her younger sister.

"It's pretty much English in a strange handwriting. I've seen worse," Aya casually replies.

I sigh. "If you can read this scroll, tell me what stands out." I hold out the scroll to her.

"Okay," Aya accepts. "Just give me a few minutes. I've never seen handwriting like this before." She reads the scroll for a few moments, then stops. "Is it handwriting or something else, like paw-writing? Or maybe—"

"It honestly does not matter," I snap. "Sorry. Continue," I apologize after a few seconds of silence. If I'm going to have a chance of getting more information, I need to be patient.

"Okay. Hold you horses," Aya grumbles as she reads further. "Now let's see here." After about a minute, she slowly turns to me. "Did you guys really mistake our tech that badly?"

I sigh. "We don't really have much information to go off of for human lifestyle," I say.

"Couldn't you guys just ask the humans?" Aya growls to herself, though I can hear.

"Memory wipes. Crossing between dimensions is very unstable business. It takes a large amount of energy to create a stable pocket that will last the entire process," I explain.

"Then why do we still have all our memories? I don't think the queen would want a human with memories if she wants me de…dead," Nova whispers.

"That I'm not certain of," I reply. "The Pokémon Queen isn't always rational. Perhaps you have some clues from when you were last human. Perhaps you saw a bright light, or some clue?"

"Well, I've got no dice on that. I honestly don't…" Aya suddenly stops. She drops the scroll. I makes sure to pick it up before it slides away on the ice. I'm not going to have any knowledge ruined by any form or carelessness or water.

"Nova. What do you remember last?" Aya asks, her eyes full of dread.

"The middle of the school day," Nova gulps, her expression the same as her sister's. "Then it sort of, um, fades."

"Until there's nothing left by the time you get home," Aya finishes. "Aw man, if I don't get fired from my unexplained no-productivity absence, I'll surely get fired for forgetting anything important."

I shake my head. This doesn't make any sense. It's as if someone purposefully removed those memories entirely. If they did that, why keep the rest of the human's memories intact?

"Shadow? D-do you think we'll be able to get that memory back?" Nova stutters. I'm going to have to remain calm and tell them the truth.

"I honestly depends. The nature of the summoning technique itself could be a factor, along with the reason for its casting in the first place. With the right methods, they could be retrievable, but…" I hesitate at the next part. "…those memories could have been completely disintegrated in the time-space continuum."

Their expressions dim. "Sorry. At the very least, you both still have the rest of your memories," I say.

Nova nods her head. "Yep, at the very least." she agrees. "Out of question, what does the rest of the book, I mean the scroll say?"

I open the 'book', quickly skimming the papers, making sure I have my information correct. "Regarding humans, not much else. It's just a theory about the difference in energy outputs compared to standard-born Pokémon."

I pause. "The evidence supporting the theory is the information you're asking for, isn't it?"

She nods. I continue. "Humans tend to eat more than the average Pokémon, and use abilities more quickly in battle than the average Pokémon. To make up for it, your normal battle specialties are replaced with, uh, unusual capabilities."

Aya squints her eyes in suspicion. "What do you mean 'unusual capabilities'? And are you implying we're unhealthy?"

Nova shakes her head. "Sis, he's not implying anything about eating too much and lacking exercise." She pauses. "Are you?"

"What?" I squeak. I shake my head and sigh. "Never mind. What I mean is feats standard Pokémon of your species would not be able to accomplish."

They look confused. "For example, my species battle specialty is the ability static. Standard pikachu are capable of involuntarily transferring electrical energy whenever we take a hit. It has a possibility of paralyzing anybody who's too close at that point in time. Now, for the human example. For convenience sake, let's say I was human-born. Instead of static, I would have some other capability to aid me," I explain.

"What kind of ability is that?" Aya inquires, her eyes practically screaming at me 'suspicious'.

"You know, I'm not a human," I say.

"Uh huh." She says, not convinced.

I continue anyway. "According to records, the actual capability varies. Some have been able to read minds. Others have been able to survive in harsh environments. There's even some reports on humans being able to see past and future."

"Sounds too cool to be true. Now what are the duds?" Aya asks flatly.

"Uh, Sis? I think the idea is supposed to be that they all have their uses," Nova says.

Aya shakes her head. "Nope. Not convinced. These superpowers sound far too epic."

I shrug. "It depends on what you consider a 'dud'," I say, not sure what exactly the glameow means.

"So, what abilities do we have?" Nova asks.

I glance to the left, then to the right. The zigzagoon appears asleep, and the jigglypuff seems to not be paying attention. The humans understand my caution, and lean forward.

"As of now, I have no idea," I whisper. I've been unable to identify their abilities, and I don't know if humans need time to develop their abilities or not. "But I am currently working it."

I back away after I finish, putting the scroll back in its original place. I couldn't find much new information, so what should I do now? Perhaps make a plan for what to do while on Glass Isle.

I tally off the number of days we'll need at least for equipment and training. In total, it would be at least four days (if time still worked properly).

I count the supplies we'll need and guess how much they'll cost. Equipment for the human (expensive yet currently necessary skill boosters), food (increase any average estimations), possibly TMs (expensive, but increases survival chances in combat), standard supplies (sleep seeds), lodging…

I stop counting and rummage through my cloak until I find a pouch. It's a standard string-tied green poké pouch. I open and look inside. I currently have about five thousand poké.

I pause, then add up the number of coins again. I have only five thousand poké to buy all necessary materials from Glass Ilse.

The avalugg suddenly stops. I stumble forward, while my poké pouch flies out of my paws. I recover quickly and go after it. It nearly falls into the ocean, but I catch it just before it gets out of reach.

Unfortunately, I didn't retrieve all of its contents. I watch as some of the coins topple out of my reach and into the ocean.

Moments later, the humans are by my side near the edge of the avalugg. "That's not good," Nova quietly comments. Aya nods her head.

I quickly check my poké pouch. There's only a thousand poké left. It would only be enough to cover lodging, food, and maybe a supply restock. _What do I do? What do I do?! WHAT DO I DO?!_ The words echo in my head.

I stop panicking and take a deep breath in, and quietly exhale. I look back at my pouch, tapping a few coins before glancing at my cloak, then at the humans. I look back at my cloak again before going back to the pouch. My ears sag. Selling my cloak may be the best solution. I look back at the fabric, then decide to consider the idea later.

"Alright there. Here's the isle. Time to get off now," the avalugg announces. I look up and find his claim correct. There is a landmass not far from here. There's a wooden dock on the visible beach, probably landing point. We'll have to swim back the last stretch, about a half dozen wailord lengths.

"Great. Just, great," Aya grumbles. "We lose most of our money when we're RIGHT NEAR our destination!"

"Do I have to ask you three one more time t' pipe down?!" the zigzagoon yells as he turns over again. He mumbles to himself something unintelligible as he changes position.

I apologize to the zigzagoon for our yelling, and nod to the jigglypuff to leave first. She smiles slightly before lightly hopping overboard. She hits the water softly before twirling her body around in a rollout, propelling her forward.

The zigzagoon yawns before inviting himself as the next in line. He pounces on the water, making a large ripple. The raccoon flicks his jagged tail as he uses his front paws move forward.

Now it's just the three of us and our transport. "You two can go first," I say, glancing at the water. Aya reluctantly obliges, taking Nova with her. The two humans struggle a little in moving forward, but they make steady progress.

I take a few deep breaths and make sure I have all my equipment before taking a dive. The water feels just as unsettling as before, and I freeze up at first. I quickly shake my head and focus on moving upwards. I reach the surface, pushing forward towards the dock.

It takes a while to reach the dock. By the time I've reached the halfway point, everyone else is done. When I reach the dock, the jigglypuff and zigzagoon have already left. I grab onto one of the support beams when I can. I exhale a held breath.

Now onto the next problem: how to stop gripping the beam and actually get on land. I start climbing one paw at a time. Its slow and unsteady progress. "Um, Shadow? Do you need any help?" Nova asks. I slowly nod my head, my ears drooping a bit.

After a…relatively long amount of time involving a series of insanely desperate ideas (which were quite ridiculous given the goal of prying a mouse off a surface), I'm finally at the top of the dock.

"Can this please be a 'never speak of this again'?" Aya suggests. Nova and I both agree. "Good." We head inland.

We continue walking until we come across a sign decorated in Oran and Pomeg berry juice depicting a well-detailed town surrounded by waves. Since the sign's in standard footprint runes, I translate the message to the humans. "Welcome to Glass Ilse. Main center up ahead."

There's smaller writing on a plain sign underneath. "As a reminder of Section 1,583 of Her Majesty's Code of Law, extension of Section 438: Exclusion of Authority, any with reasonable suspicion as an 'explorer' or having membership with a 'guild' or other unregistered sources of authority will be searched. If any solid evidence is found confirming suspicions, they are to be arrested and tried by the local power or Her Majesty herself," I translate, my voice slowing as I realize what the sign means.

The humans give me unamused looks. I take a deep breath, considering what will convince them that this isn't an issue. "Yes, exploring is illegal under the Pokémon Queen's reign. However, joining a guild will be our best chance of allying with large forces. It's also your best chance of getting back to your world alive. Rare information travels in a guild. Perhaps you two may find the solution there." I doubt it. "It's not like the Pokémon Queen will be so benevolent as to aid you."

"And how, pray tell, were these guilds and explorers outlawed in the first place?" Aya asks in a dangerously low tone.

I quickly shrug. "I don't know. It's not like 'her majesty's' laws have much reasoning to them. Besides, we do not currently have anything that would be considered 'proven of suspicion'." I wait for the humans to respond, making a conscious effort to control my breathing as I pinch my cloak.

After what feels like a lifetime of waiting, the humans finally respond. "Fine," Aya says. "Just make sure we don't get caught. If anything happens, my little sister survives. No excuses."

I hold back a sigh, accepting to the cat's terms. We continue onward, with Nova trying (and failing) to convince Aya about not being top priority.

Not long after, we come across an arch decorated in similar berry juices as the sign. It stretches wide and tall, probably enough for a legend such as Groudon to travel through without any issues.

Once I place a paw past the arch, the scene begins to ripple, almost like the background is an ocean. Bright blue waves radiate from the arch, before a new background takes the place of the old one. Faded clusters of buildings come and go. One final wave incases the land beyond as a dome before shattering into glittering bright orange shards. A town take the place of the previous background.

I ponder the technologies behind the display. It can't be a visual illusion; that requires too much energy for each individual passing through the arch to sustain. The town most likely exists in a special pocket. Rather dangerous and capable of exploding inwards if done carelessly, but visual impressive if designed correctly.

I motion the awestruck humans forward into the lively area. Pokémon large and small fill the streets. Detailed symbols adorn the town, structured in a radial pattern. Salesmon station themselves at nearly every corner, each with their own variety of wares. From berries and seeds to scarfs and emera rings to sculptures and paintings, the list is endless. Some even reside in buildings, the decorated roofs resembling Pokémon signaling their prestige.

Not all buildings are for salesmon though. There are some quaint cottages for families, holes for ground-dwellers, and apartments for the busy workers, all ranging in sizes. Some homes are capable of holding sloths of snorlax, while others (I am pleased to say) are smaller than myself. "Whoa," Nova says. I nod my head.

"Whoa is right," Aya agrees. She's the first to recover. "Alright, enough with admiring the epically-impressive city. Especially you Nova. You've seen much bigger. Where should we go first?"

"The first step would most likely be finding lodging," I say. "We can most likely find an affordable hotel if we look around."

We trek across the town, looking for as many hotels as possible, meaning looking at every sign we come across and me translating what it says. "Heliolisk's Hotel" near the East Park was far too expensive. The humans did not approve of Sandcastle Bay's "Masquerain's BRB" spit-and-shine sanitation policy. "Jumpluff's Guesthouse" in the Sky Plaza was slightly inaccessible. And, strangely, "Rowlet's Premium Resort" in the Center Sector required additional fees. For sleeping. "This is more difficult than I thought," I say.

We head to North Street. The area contains few salesmon and wandering Pokémon, though there are a few theaters and restaurants, all not affordable. I check the signpost for direction. Sunny Hillside sounds too similar to one of the other optimistically-named expensive areas, but it may be worth a try.

I call for the humans, except there's no response. I turn around, and they are nowhere in sight. "Arceus." I mumble. I continue to scan the street.

The area begins to darken. My ears feel cold, and a slight breeze rustles by. I back away as I look through the area. Once I can only see a few feet in front, I hear a noise from behind. I cling to the ground as a wave of energy passes by, unintelligible whispers filling my head. I focus on keeping my footing. It doesn't work. The energy is so strong, it pushes me back across the street.

"Shadow!" The humans run towards me. "Where were you? You were at the signpost one moment, and you're gone the next!"

"Yeah, and that sounds really suspicious in my books! Minus five trust points."

I open my mouth, but close it before I say anything. I take a deep breath in before speaking. "Sorry, I thought I saw a place to stay, and got lost heading back." I flinch at the lousy excuse.

"And getting lost gets you thrown across a street?" Aya flatly asks, unconvinced.

I try to remember how I normally keep my ears so they won't give anything away. "An encounter with an unfriendly Pokémon might."

Convinced or not, the humans decide to let the incident slide. "Well, we think we found someplace to stay," Nova explains. The humans direct me to a mediocre-sized building.

The building itself does not stand out much. It's average size with a somewhat faded pink paint job. It's an ordinary building unless you looked at the roof design, which does not resemble a Pokémon's head for once. The roof design features several pink pillows, along with a yellow hay bed.

"Either this is a pillow store, or this is a hotel," Aya announces.

"Snuggle and Cuddles Inn, for every generation's comforts," I translate. I scan for a price sheet outside the building. It's on a decrepit paper that needs replacement. At least fifty poké 'a night' doesn't sound too bad. "Good enough," I declare.

Pleasantly enough, the door does not creak when we open it. The lobby is average size, with more faded pink paint on the walls and ceiling. Yellow furniture items sit on top the relatively well cared for wooden floor. Portraits of various Pokémon line the walls. In the center of it all is a large desk.

I walk up to the desk. Stacks of papers crowd it, along with various writing utensils. An apple sits on the tallest stack, while the shortest has a tiny bell on top. There's a note on the bell: "Ring for service." I follow the instructions.

I hear a clatter sound in the distance. "Just a minute!" a voice shouts, followed by more noise. I retreat a few steps at a small movement from a corner. A few seconds later, a wispy hand snatches a pile of papers. Some papers fall off, but more hands catch them. More hands continue to clear the desk, carefully placing the apple and bell on the cleared surface, several more crashing sounds audible all the while.

Once the desk is cleared and the noise stops, a cofagrigus rushes to the lobby, papers in hand. He runs too fast, and ends up falling casket-front first. He quickly recovers and soon stands…levitates full-height. "Welcome to _Snuggle and Cuddles Inn_ , for every generation's comforts," The entombed ghost gives his sales pitch.

I sigh and step forward. "Hello." I introduce. "We would like a room."

A little while later, I understand how difficult it is to pay for lodging. It took way longer than expected.

"That's 150 poké spent. We're going to need to conserve resources if we want service at a dojo," I say. I yawn, deciding to think about where to look for a dojo later.

The humans do not look so concerned. Aya yawns and mumbles about 'getting some actual sleep', while Nova examines the 'room key'. "Or food," I add. Both humans turn to me in full attention. I sigh.

"Look." I work to pronounce my words clearly. "Heading across the ocean will be risky. We'll end up dead if we don't properly prepare. We'll at least need a few basic training sessions. That will cost money, and we may have to conserve our resources. That may include food, or other luxuries. The only reason why we currently have lodging now is because it's far safe than outside." I shiver thinking about the incident at the crossroads sign.

We come across a door labeled 'Room 9', our room. Nova hands me our room key. I hold the dull gray orb up to the door. The unique energies in the orb react with the door, and the door handle begins to glow light yellow. I turn the handle, opening the door.

The room itself isn't terrible. The ceiling and walls don't appear on the verge of collapsing, and the floor were definitely recently cleaned. There's a small window for lighting (enough to see the room), three hay beds in the center for guests, and a small clean water pool in the corner.

Aya raises her paw and tail to her head as she yawns again. "Yeah. That sounds nice and all to discuss some other time," she replies. "Personally, I think we should all get some rest."

Nova agrees with her sibling, taking the hay bed closest to the water pool. Aya moves a hay bed closer to her sister, claiming it as her own. I sit on the remaining bed. It barely takes a moment before both the humans are fast asleep. I count a few seconds to make sure the humans are asleep.

I quietly get up and move my bed to the corner furthest from humans, making sure I have as much distance between the potential threats and I. I smile and take a seat on the hay.

I untie the string of my cloak, taking it off, ignoring the chill. I stare at it, silently weighing my options. I look back and forth between the humans and the cloak. I sigh. "As soon as I wake up, I'll sell this thing," I decide.

I lay down, clutching my cloak as if it were a blanket, deciding this is the best decision.

Sleep doesn't come. I toss and turn into different positions, but none works. "Strange," I mumble to myself before yawning.

I glance past the sleeping humans, looking across the room. I catch some movement, but I can't figure out where it came from. My ears perk up as I crawl out of the hay bed. I scan the rom again. I catch the movement again, but I can pinpoint it this time.

I pick up my cloak, charging enough energy into my feet for a quick attack towards the window. I grip the edge, scanning for further motions as I tie my cloak's string. I catch someone speeding across a rooftop. I dash after it.

I follow the movements through the narrow winding streets, noticing the growing gap between us. I try to get my paws to go faster, but it backfires when I trip on my cloak while turning a corner.

I pick myself up and walk through the short alleyway. I stop at the next corner, which leads left and right. I turn to a clanking noise on my left. There's nothing significant about the route, expect for a metal grate in the center for cleaning. I lift the loose grate and jump downwards.

I land a few feet below in shallow murky water. My cheeks begin to spark as I try to slow down my breathing. I glance back up at the opening, then shake my head before trekking forward.

"I would not recommend that," someone says to my right. I turn to find a Pokémon cleverly hidden in the darkness. I back away a couple steps. "That leads towards the Center Sector. Security there is high."

I see a jigglypuff by the figure's side. It's the same one as from the avalugg transport. "You were following us." I glare at the duo.

The figure shakes its head. "My friend was only collecting information. She just happened upon you and your friends and found your group rather…curious. You three are humans, correct?"

I flinch at her conclusion. The jigglypuff smirks and nods. I sigh. "Only the other two," I admit. "What gave it away?"

"To be quiet honest, you three act like feebas out of the water, and that's an understatement. Anybody visiting Glass Isle purposefully would have already known how to get there.

"But that's beside the point. I need a job completed."

It continues before I can speak, "Before you object, let me ask you this. Do you not find the atmosphere strange? Almost foreboding, like a shadow has been cast upon this island?" I shake my head.

"Then just hear me out. There have been rumors across the island. Rumors of incidents where Pokémon find themselves lost, as if they traveled to another plane of reality. We've tried to find the cause of these incidents, but no other places have these problems, even for those traveling to and from the island. It's never been the same ever since her majesty sent a replacement head of the island."

My ears perk up. "And you expect us to find the source of these incidents?"

The figure nods. "Yes. You and the humans can—"

"No. The humans will not be involved," I say. "I can handle the job on my own, if I accept. I do not want the humans involved in this matter in any way."

"Fine, the humans will not be involved. I assume you know what you're doing?" I wincing and slowly nod my head.

"As for the matter of compensation, I've heard you've lost part of finance on the way here. I can recover it, and add in more. Poké should be no object, so name your price; just don't go overboard. Remember that I can always ask others. I'll even pay beforehand. A full seventy-five percent. It should be enough to cover anything you need for the job.

"What do you think? Sweet deal, right?" I glare at the figure, then look to the floor. I tap the coin pouch in my cloak, then I pinch my cloak.

I look back up at the duo. I take a deep breath, hoping my decision's the right one.

"Alright. Let's make a deal."


	9. 9: Glass Isle

Chapter 9: Glass Isle

 _Wham!_ That mousy is completely suspicious. _Wham!_ Completely and utterly suspicious. _Wham!_ He's hiding a lot of things, but this might as well take the cake. _Wham!_ And I swear, I'm going to figure out exactly what that something is. _Wham!_ And if there's cake, even better.

"Focus on your target young one. Not on your power," instructs the rock-hard blue martial artist. I look at the mutilated stump with the unharmed bright red target sign. My ears sag.

"Five rounds! Again!" the fighter commands. I flick my tail to my side, leaning my body backwards as if I'm about to pounce on the messy red dot in the center. I quickly launch my tail forward as if it were attached to a slingshot. It shoots across the feet of space. _Wham!_ A powerful clash can be heard as it grazes the target's edge, hitting the rough bark.

I grit my teeth at the pain, but don't scream. I'm not going to weep like I did an hour ago. I wait for the pain to ease.

"Still four more left. No biggie Aya," I mumble as I get into position. _Wham!_ I miss again. _Wham!_ "Rats! Okay, I can still do this." _Wham!_ "So close! This time, it's really going to count!" _Wham!_

I miss the five rounds. For the fourth time already. I just can't throw my tail as well as my old arms. And now I know my performance in the moving forest was a fluke. Apparently those seeds have crazy honing things to make them throw correctly; it's considered almost impossible to miss a throw!

"Your posture is off! Too much focus on footing, and not enough on tension!" I groan at that repeated phrase.

"Why do I have to think so much about posture anyway?" I complain. "It's not exactly the first thing on my mind when an eight foot powerhouse wants to rip me to shreds."

"Exactly why you must learn correct posture now, and not while you fight." The blue fighter taps my back, and I crumble to the ground instantly. "All efforts in balance goes to waist if you are uptight." I groan again, but I still get back up for another round of aim-and-miss.

I keep giving it my all until the session is over. My instructor leads me to the main room of _Triple Skill Dojo_. It doesn't take long; the gym isn't very large. I find Nova there with a shorter red martial artist, her instructor.

A large bee-colored bug whizzes into the room. As it hovers in the air, I can hardly see its wings. "Thank you for your time at Triple Skill." It leaves a small trail of dust as it races to someplace else. I blink, and it's back hovering in the same spot. On the ground is now a plain brown bag. "We hope you come again."

I nod, picking up our stuff as we head out the door. "Shadow said he'd be busy, so he told me we'll be shopping at the Sunny Hillside on our own for today," Nova says.

I growl. "Aww, come on Sis! Sunny Hillside isn't that bad," Nova jokes, well aware that isn't what I'm growling at. I let out a small giggle.

I don't have it in me to shout. "No, it's not that," I softly reply. "It's just, something doesn't add up with that little mousy." I know Nova's heard it before, but I go on anyway. "Think about it. He's been so-called 'busy' ever since we've arrived in Glass City."

"Glass Isle," Nova corrects.

"Okay, Glass ISLE. Anyway, he's literally been playing the 'answering questions' version of dodgeball, so we still don't really know if what we're doing is right or not. Not to mention the oh-so-important question: where did he say he got those coins from?"

"A bank."

I nod, raising my voice slightly. "Right. A bank. The guy who's been figuratively tip-toeing around anything and everything potentially dangerous goes to a BANK. This may not be our world, but I bet my arms, er…tail that that's a dumb idea with a crazy queen at our heels wanting our hide."

"Sis, I don't think she has access to all the financial records. I think that job's for someone else. And also—"

I shake my head. "Doesn't matter if she can or can't directly. If she wants us in graves THAT much, she'll look at every possible thing available. If it's important enough it won't matter what she can or can't do. She'll find a way around the system."

"No Sis," Nova says. "We really shouldn't be calling the monarch 'crazy' in public."

I immediately shut my mouth and place a paw to it. I look around the crowd. I don't see anyone giving us the 'I'll step away from the crazy person' look, so I quickly change the subject.

"So, how much money did we get?" Nova reaches into the bag, pulling out Shadow's green wallet. "Good. Now put that back before we get robbed." Nova frowns, but does so anyway.

We trace our steps back to Sunny Hillside, which isn't far from the motel. I ignore all the unreadable signs written with paw print symbols. Pokémon of all shapes and sizes line the yellow-painted streets, making it harder to navigate. At times Nova has to grab my tail so we won't get separated.

She suddenly jerks left. I see her pointing towards a building on the outskirts of the road. We break through the stampede, falling on the ground.

I look up at the building. It has a picture of blue fabric with a needle going through it. "I think we veered too far one way Nova."

"I thought it would be promising," Nova mumbles, her ears drooping in disappointment.

Nova walks to the front of the shop. "But it doesn't hurt to at least take a look," she says as she opens the door and heads inside. Being the big sister I am, I go after her.

The interior is not what I expected. Instead of being lined with clothing racks, there are several display tables. Some displays range from weird-looking jewelry to plain cloths.

I notice one of the displays isn't on the floor. It's a large fabric with a tree stump for a tail. There appear to be scribbles on the cloth, making it look like a kindergartener's hand-made Halloween costume. I pick it up to put it back on display.

As soon as I touch the cloth, it jumps up screaming, "I'm awake!" It dashes around the room before it suddenly stops. "Oh!" It turns to us. "Visitors!" It scurries towards us, the shadowy cloth underneath moving as it does so.

At first I think the cloth's Shadow's double. It has the ears and tail, but then I realize it's definitely not anything like the mouse. The facial features look drawn by a preschooler with a thick crayon, and the ears appear extremely lopsided. I'm surprised the head didn't come off right then and there. The tail's a little on the short side too. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure Shadow has feet. And arms.

"Woah," Nova gasps. "I've never seen that before." She realizes the sentient cloth is listening. "Sorry, We just uh…" I take a step forward to cover for her, but she continues, "This is our first visit any where's outside our home town, and we've never really seen your kind before."

"Oh. Well, I'm a Mimikyu. You can call me Reflect." A shadowy clawed hand like the mummy back at the inn extends from underneath the cloth. It shakes my sister's paw. "Welcome to me mum's fabric and accessories shop. We don't really get much business, but we sell good quality. Are you two looking for anything in particular?"

"Nah. We're just browsing," I say.

The cloth's 'head' leans forward. "Aw," he moans. "Well, if you need anything, I'll be sitting in that corner over there." He sulks as he walks over to a corner in the shop.

"This stuff looks really cool," Nova says as she eyes some of the displays. She suddenly dashes over to the sentient fabric. "Do they boost stats?"

He doesn't respond. "Oh, uh…I mean, do any of the items make battle easier?"

"Oh! You mean accessory enchantments!" he cheers. "Yeah. Me mum knows how to do that! Every product we sell has that! She says I'll learn the secret when I become owner."

"Uh…"

"You don't know what accessory enchantments are?!" the cloth exclaims. Nova shakes her head. "Oh. Right. Most Pokémon don't. See, accessory enchantments is an art amongst us salesmon. It's been around since back when Pokémon wanted to know every inch and secret of the ancient world. If you don't know, our ancient history is a little bit, uh…what did me mum always tell me? Clustered."

"Clustered?"

"Yeah. You know, we only know about things happening every now and then. This legend was born, and then this ancient tale formed, and then that ancient tale began. All Pokémon really forgot what happened at the time when most of the legends were born. We lost a lot of information about ancient temples and treasures for seemingly no reason at all. Back before Greater Grandpa's time, some of us risked our lives to find those lost treasures and knowledge.

"It was really dangerous back then, so they would get creative at times. Pokémon would buy cheap cloths from salesmon to throw at their enemies. Salesmon caught on, and started developing ways to improve our products for travelers. Me mum's always told me in the end, it was a legend who discovered the first accessory enchantment techniques and gave them to a friendly salesmon."

Nova beams. "Woah. That should so cool." She pauses. "But, what exactly are accessory enchantments?"

"Oh! Sorry. I went completely off track there. It basically makes an item capable of gifting you more energy. When you wear an enchanted item, it connects with your own energy. It can give you an extra punch to a technique, or reduce how injured you get when you're hit by others, and that's just the beginning of it!"

"That sounds useful. Out of question, do you have any bows?" Nova asks. I perk my ears and glare a little at her.

"Sure. They're over this way." The cloth leads Nova to another corner of the shop. I follow them.

I don't watch where I'm going and bump into a display case. I frantically try to keep it from falling, pressing against the case while flailing my paws as I fail to properly grab it. I then pause, suddenly wanting to place a paw to my face.

My tail grabs onto the top of the case from behind. I pull my tail forward. The case balances itself. I turn away quietly whistle to myself.

I glance around as I search for my sister. Then I see IT.

I walk towards it, not believing my luck. On top of one of the cases lies a small object. It's most certainly not fabric, with the light reflecting off the thin metal ever so slightly. It looks in completely top condition, my reflection perfectly clear in the lens. "Oh. My. Good-e-ness." I have found it. In this world, there are GLASSES!

"NOVA!" I call, nearly jumping up and down on four paws as if I'm a child in a candy shop.

I heard her rushing toward me. "What is it Sis?" I try to explain to her, but the words can't form. I resort to pointing my tail at the display case. "Ah. That explains it."

"Those are wide lens. They increase the wearer's accuracy," the cloth says. "They're a recently developed product among the salesmon community, but I'll give you a handy discount. Me mum sells them for around 5,000 poké."

I don't wait to count our savings "SOLD!" I declare.

"Oh, but that size probably won't fit you. Wait here. I'll go get a better set." The cloth scurries to a set of curtains in the back, leaving Nova and I alone.

I fidget at the awkward silence. "Have we got enough money to pay for that?"

"Yep," Nova answers.

"And how did the bow shopping go?"

"I picked one out, but I need to try it on first."

"Why do you need one of those in the first place?"

She taps one leg against the other. "Well, I thought it would help. I know bows were good stat boosters in the games."

I don't reply, so we stand in silence as the cloth scurries back with a set of glasses in its claws. "Here we go." It places the glasses on my head.

The world goes from blurs to detail almost instantly. I can actually see the joy on my sister's face, and the small pink fabric she carries. I can see the display of scarfs across the room, though beyond the door is still a blur. "Definitely sold.

"Now let me help you with that bow. I know you're having trouble with it." Nova hands me the pink fabric. I motion to turn herself around. "It's not really that hard little Sis. It's just loop around this way, and that way, up and over, and…done!"

"I guess I feel a tiny bit stronger now, but I don't think it's by that much." She turns around. I recall all the scrapbook pictures at home.

"Nope. It's tons of adorable. We are definitely getting this."

I don't take no for an answer. Nova pays for the items. We speed out of the shop. "Okay! Let's just say we spent all our time getting these things and go to a library. I REALLY need to play catch up here," I say.

"I thought I saw a book, er…scroll sign over that way." I have Nova grab onto my tail as I dash through enemy fire and towards where she's pointing.

It doesn't look like much. The structure looks pretty worn down. If it wasn't for the sign, I would have been convinced my little sister tricked me into going into a haunted house. Again.

I push the doors, only to find them locked. Who has a library and locks the doors during daylight, uh…highly active hours? I notice a sign posted on the wall. I can't make out the footprint wording, but there is an arrow pointing towards a hole in the floor. It's large enough to climb through. I go first, just in case it leads to another world. One crazy wonderland is enough, thank you very much.

Luckily, it's only a rundown library on the other side. I see other Pokémon wandering past the worn bookshelves, the wooden floor constantly making creaking noises. I head up to the only desk there. A blue shrimp with a gigantic claw sitting there notices me. "Hello," I greet. "I'm looking for a b…scroll."

The shrimp grabs a catalog, using its large claw to open it. "What subject?" he sighs as he rolls his eyes at the ceiling.

"Unown script!" Nova shouts. "Unown script," she repeats as a whisper this time.

The shrimp has the 'not-this-again' look. "Anything more specific?" he asks with loosely-controlled irritation.

I step in. "Non-fiction stuff. Anything with basic facts or history."

"That still covers a wide range of scrolls."

"We just want something useful."

The shrimp places a claw on his head. "This is just like the last few clients," he mumbles. His claw points to a shelf at the corner. "Go look at the 'Mysteries and Histories' section," he grumbles.

Grumpy employee aside, we follow the shrimp's advice. Most of the books have their sidings written in footprint language. I read the first legible one I find. It's called _Energy Manipulation: History of the Art- Volume 1._ I search some more. I shake my head at _Monuments of the Eras_ , and sighed in frustration upon seeing _Tales of the Seven Realms_. "Don't they have info on basic stuff? Like the monarch?" I mumble.

I find a book labeled _Rulers of the Realm: Facts and Myths of the Legends_. Recognizing the last word, and noting the first word, I don't immediately discard the book. I take a flip through the pages. Luckily, there are pictures. These 'legends' appear to take on all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some of them do not look so nice either, with the exception of the pink cat. I take a look at the handwriting, taking time to decipher the odd English.

In summary, the intro says these 'legends' are super powerful. Strong enough to control parts of the working universe. Since they can control the working universe, they have a strong connection to the flowing 'energies' of the realms. That's why all of them can use some form of 'pure energy'. It's also why they have a longer-than-average lifespan. Some speculate that these 'legends' may never die of old age.

I rub my eyes. I take a few seconds break from the handwriting before moving on to the next set of paragraphs.

The strength of these 'legends' vary. New ones pop up occasionally, so everybody has different levels of combat experience. Some 'legends' are more active than others. Some 'legends' seem rather lazy and don't do anything, while others train their butts off, even if they don't have to. Some even rule one of the seven—

 _CRASH._ I drop the book at the sudden noise. I look for the source and my sister, only to find her racing past me. I follow her.

We pass a corner and find the cause of the sound. The floor near the bookshelf at the end of the hall now has a large dent in it, and the shelf itself doesn't look in the best of shape. Luckily, there weren't any books on it to begin with. And in the center of the dent against the bookshelf lies a very bruised mouse with familiar yellow and purple hide and black cloak.

Shadow manages to get up on two legs. He pulls out a small red book and scribbles something in it, a small grin appearing on his face. He finishes the last of…whatever he's writing, and turns around to exit. _Whack._ He hits the bookshelf and knocks over backwards. I glare at this new event.

A crowd starts to form, wondering what exactly is going on. If they find out about the whole 'we are explorers' thing, we're done for. I'm almost afraid of them picking us out, but nobody pays us any mind. Nova and I are just part of the crowd. I would have it stay that way, but my little sister has other ideas.

She gently pushes her way through the crowd. I try to move forward to stop her, but the crowd shifts. I can't find an opening. "'Scuse me," I say and try again. A mushroom crab notices me and lifts its claw slightly. I crawl under it. "Thanks." Just when he lets me pass, another Pokémon blocks my path.

While I fight my way through the crowd, I see Nova on the other side. She stands in front of Shadow, who lays on the ground rubbing his head. "Hey. Are you okay?" I hear her ask. I breathe a little at the fact that she's acting as a nice, forgettable passerby. Meanwhile, I manage to find an opening in the final blockade.

"Yes. I just didn't see where I was going," Shadow responds. He sits up and turns to the crowd. His ears immediately droop.

"N-n-nothing t-to see here. J-just tripped and f-fell and r-ran, I-I mean ran a-and fell and t-tripped, I mean r-RAN and TRIPPED and f-FELL," he stutters.

It's enough information for the crowd. It's not a huge incident, so why stick around? The nice fox background character can take care of things from here. As most of them disperse, I realize all my hard work traveling through the crowd was for nothing. Great. At least I can join my sister.

"Hey," I greet as I walk up to them. I glance at the book on the floor, the one Shadow wrote in earlier. He must have dropped it when he hit the shelf. I can't read the footprint cover, and it's not open to any page.

I look back to the mouse. He seems…tenser than before. Almost like he flipped a mental switch or something. He quickly reaches for the red book and jumps onto to feet. "Thank you for earlier," he addresses my sister before speed-walking away. He doesn't get very far though. He keeps fixing a wary gaze on us so much, he walks right into a wall.

We manage to catch him before he hits the ground again. I didn't notice before, but I realize his breathing's uneven, like the kind somebody has when trying to slow down after a long race. He seems almost limp as well.

Shadow rubs his head. He looks up at us. Something seems to click in those red eyes of his as the hand motion turns into a face-palm. He mouths three syllables to himself. "Sorry. I didn't recognize you two," he mutters.

We both manage to get him on his feet. "I'm assuming you two finished collecting supplies?" He glances back and forth between the two of us. "A pink bow, and scope lens. Both adequate choices. Anything else."

"Nope," I answer. "Just looking up some info. Helps with survival, you know." I pause for effect. "But that doesn't explain what you're doing here. Or why you've been with the group on and off since coming to this place. So what exactly _have_ you been doing these past few days?"

He rubs one eye. "Not exactly the best time and place. Any chance we could head back to the inn first?" I reluctantly accept the request.

Once I buy the book I was reading (turns out the 'library' was actually a book store), we take our leave. We make a quick pit stop at an item stall manned by...a floating lei? Anyway, Shadow pays the shopkeeper in exchange for a bluish yellow berry and a light green seed with red splotches.

"Half asleep," Nova declares.

"What?"

"He's half asleep," she explains. "He's buying a Chesto berry. It cures sleep status, and I could bet that seed has similar effects. Plus, the way he's been acting recently sort of reminds me of how you are before having your morning coffee: groggy, little bit sluggish, somewhat single minded in a way…"

"Okay. Point made Sis." Though I can't exactly disagree with that. Well, I could, but even I would know that would be a lie. "Come to think of it, that mouse would be off somewhere whenever we got back to the inn. Has he even slept at all?"

"He most likely has, otherwise he might not be this alert or overly cautious. I think it's more of a matter of not getting enough sleep. I don't think that's the major problem here." I wait for her to continue. "Sis? D-did you think anything was wrong with that book store back there?"

I raise a brow. "No. Looked like any worn down place to me. Why?"

"I-I just feel like there's something up with that place. It-it feels off. I didn't even realize it until we went inside…doesn't it seem somewhat strange? Like too much of a coincidence. Maybe whatever Shadow's been doing has some connection? I don't know," she trails off. I let the topic drop. We have enough to investigate as it is.

Our conversation at the inn begins with a long silence. The atmosphere feels foreboding, like something bad is just dangling over our heads. I almost consider dropping the questions. It may just be best if we didn't ask and mind our own beeswax. But I can't stand being clueless to the situation, to this world, and especially to what that mouse is hiding. Being clueless could easily bite us in the butt later. "So, what exactly HAS been happening the last few days?"

Shadow rubs his eyes again. "I've been doing some research lately. Nothing of concern."

"It is concerning if you need to over exhaust yourself like this," Nova points out. She pauses, then takes a deep breath. "I mean, if this research is affecting you this badly, there must be some importance to it. Right?" He looks at the ground, as if he's making a choice. "We'll try not to put ourselves in danger or anything like that. Does that sound okay?"

I give Nova a warry glance. I know how my little sister thinks, and I've learned enough to be wary whenever she asks that. When she says that, the gears are turning. She's planning on investigating no matter what she'll learn.

Unfortunately for Shadow, he does not know my little sister as well as I do. He sighs. "As long as you two don't take action, then okay. This information may even be beneficial. You two will know you'll have to leave quickly if anything happens."

He opens up the red book. It's a crudely drawn map of the city, with the occasional red 'X' mark. I doubt he's looking for pirate's treasure. "I suspect Glass Ilse is in danger of becoming a mystery dungeon."

I perk my ears, remembering the weird-moving forest from the first day. A shiver runs up my spine as I recall its…off-putting vibe. "This normally isn't of concern. Mystery dungeons tend to develop near natural energy clusters. As energy clusters are constantly moving, mystery dungeons appear and disappear with time.

"The big problem is it's a slow process. It takes several centuries, maybe thousands or even millions of years for a mystery dungeon to fully develop. It takes several generations to evacuate an area completely, but that's more than enough time. Glass Ilse's development as a mystery dungeon has been unnaturally fast paced."

I take a hesitant step forward. "By fast paced, what exactly do you mean?"

"We're starting to have Pokémon wander into the dungeon. They're more in a location at the wrong time, when the cracks in the developing dungeon, or minor entrances, are in the same spot. The dungeon's defenses start to activate, as they didn't wander in from the main entrance point, and they immediately get kicked out. Nothing serious for now, but that won't be the case when the dungeon fully develops, and that won't be long. This is the final sign of the development of a mystery dungeon."

"Um, Shadow? These marks are where those Pokémon have wandered in, right?" Nova asks.

"Correct. Most minor entrances are close to the main entrances, but see those outliers." He points to the marks further from the clusters. "Mystery dungeons tend to be attracted to energy. Energy can come in different forms, and mystery dungeons have shown preferences to more…unpredictable forms of energy."

Something doesn't connect here. "And why are you looking into this? Yes, Glass City—"

"Isle," Shadow corrects.

"Glass ISLE is in danger! Yes, it will soon become a mystery dungeon and doom us all! Yes, that probably will mean we'll have to leave soon! But WHY is this important?!"

Shadow rubs the back of head. "In truth, these are just my findings. My clients wanted me to figure out the source of these occurrences. I don't know why the dungeon is developing so quickly, and that concerns me, though I suspect the Pokémon Queen might be involved in this, somehow."

"Hold the phone. Clients?!" I glare at him. "May this, perchance, have something to do with that 'banking' LIE?!"

"The offer was at least adequate, and we needed the payment. Anyway, this dungeon couldn't have developed so quickly on its own. That's the final piece of this puzzle, and I believe the answer will be somewhere in the dungeon itself." He goes back to the map. "There's one problem. The only way to access the dungeon in its current state is by going through the main entrance. It's in a fixed place; the only trouble is finding that place. I think I have an idea where it is, but I need as little bit more time to double check and make preparations.

"And that's the story. Now do you understand why you can't get involved?"

"Because that would mean going into a mystery dungeon, and mystery dungeons are dangerous," Nova cheers as if she's reciting a well-known saying.

"Exactly. If you wander through a minor entrance, don't hesitate to inform me. If not, I would recommend leaving something akin to a note and leaving as soon as possible. Once that dungeon fully develops, it will be nearly impossible to escape unscathed. Understood?" We nod. "Good. Now that that's settled…" He lies down on the hay bed. "I'm going to get some rest." It doesn't take him long to fall asleep; he's soon snoring like a baby.

I look to Nova. She has that excited gleam in her eyes. I know that whole 'try not to put ourselves in danger' thing will only be a 'try' and not a 'succeed'. "I guess you'll be following him to that main entrance."

She smiles. "Yep. And I know exactly where it is." I should probably monitor her. She may be ignoring the warnings, but I won't ignore the danger.

* * *

"Sis," Nova nudges me awake. I mumble incoherently as I turn over on my other side. "Sis, come on. We have to hurry." It takes a few more seconds of grogginess before the statement registers.

I jump up onto my four paws. I quickly stretch my legs. I place my tail of the ground. I find my glasses and put them on. I scan the floor some more. "Where is that bag? It couldn't have sprouted legs and ran for cover," I mumble. Nova taps me on the shoulder and hands me the missing bag. I thank her before we tip toe towards the door very slowly. We make it past the door, the entrance, and the empty streets before we come across the home stretch.

"Are you sure we'll find the entrance here?" I ask.

"I'm certain," she replies as she walks through the hole. I follow her to the inside of the bookstore. Nova shivers as if the building's colder on the inside. "The air even feels different than before. Doesn't it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I hear a small creak as I tap my paw on the ground. In the empty building, the sound echoes. I make a note to step lightly next time. "By the by Sis—"

 _Creeeaaaaak._ Nova dashes to the bookshelves, the ground hollering with every step. _Crack. Creak. Creeaaak_. "What?" she asks.

"Perhaps a little bit quieter walking there. We're not trying to outdo a bulldozer." After that, we both make sure to watch where we step. There's the occasional noise, but it's not as bad as before. "What are we looking for anyway? There won't be any signs saying 'Mystery Dungeon this way. Pick up the t-shirts now.'"

Nova snickers. "I don't know where. All I know is that something should be here." She pulls random books off the shelves. "Maybe it's behind a bookshelf, like one of those secret passageways where you have to move a book to open."

"That wouldn't be very smart. What if someone picked the right book by accident? You'd need a shelf without books to solve that problem. " We pause, a thought registering in both our heads.

"The empty bookshelf!" we exclaim, rushing to the location. The furniture piece appears the same as before: completely empty of any books, even though it's in a place that sells print materials. If there's a secret in this building, this shelf has to be the key. Only problem now is to find that opening.

We try everything. We pat the shelves for hidden switches. Nova taps the nearby walls and floors for buttons. I even lean against the thing to see if it will swing back like a revolving door. Fortunately for my revolving-door-hating stomach, that doesn't work.

Shouldn't we just call it quits? We may be looking in the wrong spot in the first place. Aside from the very out of place bookshelf, the building's perfectly normal. We could just go back to bed and pretend like nothing happened. If we keep asking, Shadow might give us a nonsuspicious answer on what happens.

 _But that's not good enough_. Sitting back and waiting for everything to happen is not what I do. If something's wrong, I'm not afraid to step in. I'm not afraid to voice my opinion. I'm not afraid to take action. From what I know already, Glass City is in danger, and we don't know completely why. I'm not going to rely on the mouse to do everything. I'm going to get to the bottom of this.

And what about my sister? She'll want to help, and if she believes finding the mystery dungeon entrance will help, she will find that entrance. I can't let her be on her own.

Nova pats the shelves one more time with no luck. Her ears droop, but they suddenly perk up again. She hops lightly on the ground. I don't think she's jumping invisible rope. She gets on four legs, scratching the floorboards, which rattle at the action.

"Maybe there's an entrance underneath," Nova says as she tries to lift the boards. I join in to help. It takes both of us to take off a board. The next few aren't as bad to lift. It's hollow underneath.

I stare at the hole we can now fit through. "What if this leads to some abandoned mine?" A thought pops into my head. "Roller coaster mine carts anyone?"

Nova snickers as she gets ready to jump. I stop her, volunteering to go first. I poke my tail in the hole, feeling for anything I can hold. I come across something rough. Making sure my grip is tight, I jump into the hole.

To be honest, I expected it to be deeper. A few-foot fall, and I'm back on the ground. I loosen my tail's grip, positioning it in the standard coil. I scan the area. There's not much to see. It's just a completely empty hallway with rock walls. I guess there's the occasional cobweb, but that can be found anywhere. "Clear!" I yell. I scoot to the side before I become a landing cushion.

We make our way through the hallway. As we go on, we can see less and less. Unfortunately, none of us can breathe fire, so we have to stick with me feeling for the walls and Nova holding onto my tail. It's slow progress, but it's steady progress, and that wins the race. It gets even slower when the path slopes upwards.

I see a flicker in the distance. The light doesn't fade, and it doesn't move away. I keep my pace slow as I approach it, but I suddenly hit something. I tap my paw on this new obstacle. It feels…dry and a bit rough, like the kind of texture that forms over time. It's not that tall, so I climb over it. "Careful. You'll have to climb the moving obstacle up ahead," I warn. I help Nova get over the blockade before continuing forward.

The light turns out to actually be a torch. I stare at the bright orange flame. This couldn't have been here for that long.

Painted in aged blue juice is a circle around the torch, and there are markings inside the drawing. I recognize some of those markings as the strange English, but many other markings are written in footprints. I scan through the English. _Through the powers of time…be the guide…gift this light…a flame to survive._

"The left wall's different," Nova says. I turn towards the wall. It looks unnaturally smooth. A secret entrance perhaps? I don't know.

I turn to the opposite direction. There's no wall; it's just more hallway. There's also blue juice stains drawn in arches on the floor, and they go further into the hallway. We follow the stains, seeing where it will lead us. After a few moments, we find the answer.

A torch sits on each wall, revealing large twin poles. The hallway on other side of the poles appears…dimmer, as if the torches' light can't reach the next-door area. The markings end inches away from the poles, the stains becoming words along the edges. _Faster. Faster. Faster._ The English words repeat. There's no doubt it's the entrance to the mystery dungeon.

"Let's get to the bottom of this Sis." Nova marches forward, her steps slightly uneven as she stares at the gate. I follow closely behind as she heads into the mystery dungeon.

As soon as I enter, the air feels ten degrees colder. The only thing I can hear are our short, rapid breaths. I focus on slowing down my breathing, tapping into my 'core energy' like my instructor at the dojo taught, but I find it different.

He told me all Pokémon get energy from the land, which we harness to give us power when we battle. It automatically flows to and from everyone, and I can't feel that inflow. All I can feel is that core energy flowing out, draining away little by little, and that feeling makes my fur on edge.

I hear the sound of rocks dragging against the ground behind me. I turn to find the poles and markings gone, and a long hallway in its place. I turn back to Nova, who moves forward as steadily as she can. I can see the hesitation in her eyes with ever step.

"Look, Nova. There's probably no turning back now, so whatever happens here happens. Might as well not worry about it," I tell her, somehow keeping my voice calm and level. "Besides, nothing will happen. After all, you have your big sister with you." I can tell she's still scared, but at least she smiles at my attempt to cheer her up.

We move forward in silence, occasionally taking the wrong turn and having to backtrack. If it wasn't for the setting, I would call it a peaceful stroll. But since we are in a mystery dungeon, I would describe it as waiting for the neighboring ready-to-blow volcano to erupt.

I hear a noise, pausing to listen for more. Sure enough, I hear it again. It sounds…somewhat like metal hitting metal, except with a distorted voice to it. It doesn't exactly sound like a robot, but not what you would consider natural. It's followed by another noise. It reminds me of a cross between blowing bubbles and listening to anything underwater. Nova quickens her pace with every sound while I follow from behind. Unfortunately, we run into the source after turning a corner.

There's a duo of Pokémon. One is a rather small, pink-with-white rock with branches sticking out and a face. Imagine it as a pink cross between a rock and a piece of coral. With a face. The other is made of three floating gears. Two smaller gears are side by side, one with a face, and the other with a large green orb in the middle. The non-facial gear is stacked onto a large gear. Neither opponent looks friendly.

"Run," I whimper.


	10. 10: Versus Time Mage Temporal

Chapter 10: Versus Time Mage Temporal

I lean against the wall panting. "How…how many items do we have left Sis?" I ask.

She rummages through the exploration bag using her tail. "Not enough for another game of tag with the locals, that's for sure." She hands me another oran berry. "Here."

I accept the healing fruit and take a few quick bites. "At least it shouldn't be that much longer."

She huffs, "You said that the last four times the cave's moved behind us." Her eyes fix on the hallway we came from. "Come on Nova. We have to get going."

I nod my head and stand on all fours. I concentrate on stepping where Sis walked, tripping and bumping into her a few times when I don't pay attention.

My ears perk at the sound of a low growl. I inch closer to Sis as we quicken our pace. The noise eventually fades, then gets covered by the sound of heavy rocks moving. After that, there's just silence as we traverse the next 'floor'.

The hallway's slightly different than before. The stone walls appears smoother, with torches hung every few yards. Even the air doesn't feel the same. I catch a flicker of odd color, and find the walls decked with a blue-stained pattern.

It's an oddly familiar radial pattern with small triangles surrounding the winged center. There's also four spiked wings surrounding each pattern. I look at the pattern a little more before shaking my head and catching up to Sis, which doesn't take long.

"What is it Sis?" I ask, looking to the darkened hallway ahead to see what made her stop.

"I hear something, and it's coming from up ahead." She takes a slight step back. "And I bet whatever that something is isn't good."

I gulp. "We still h-have an escape orb for emergencies…right?"

Sis pulls our last wonder orb from the bag. "Yep, and I'm activating it at the first sign of trouble, okay?"

I exhale a held breath. "Okay. We won't need it anyway…I hope," I mumble the last words to myself before continuing forward, ignoring how the distant noises are becoming louder.

Our pace is slow as we scan the walls, and we jump at any extra-loud sounds. Sis eventually pushes me back, her knees bent as if she's ready to pounce at the first sign of motion. She always keeps her tail close to the button sealing our exploration bag.

After some tense moments, I catch sight of an opening on the side of the hallway, with flashes of light flickering on the nearby floor. I slow my pace, leaning against the wall as I proceed.

My paw's only a few inches from the edge of the opening when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I almost scream, but luckily Sis covers my mouth with her tail. She shakes her head, then places a paw near her face as she makes a nearly audible 'sh' sound. She loosens her tail, placing her head near the ground as she stalks forward. I inch up slowly behind her on four paws.

Sis suddenly stops, but I don't do the same fast enough, and accidently bump into her from behind. She squeals as the push sends her falling to the ground, her flailing tail taking me with her.

I look up at the brightly lit room and squint my eyes from the harsh light. Sis wriggles, and I roll over to give her space. I rub my eyes until I can clearly see the area. What I do not except to find is a messy mini-library.

Shelves filled with books either line the walls or lay flat on the ground. A single bright light hangs above a large round table overflown with paper in the center. The floor is decorated in an enormous circular pattern filled with markings both in footprint and unown, puddles, and several scattered papers. And there are three Pokémon in the room with us, all staring at me and Sis.

The first is of course Shadow, but I've never met the other two. The second is a pansear, its red fur at the top of its head pulled back to look like a tear drop rather than a flame. The third is an ambipom, its twin tails twisted tightly around one another. All three of them are covered in bruises. "Um…hello," I say.

The pansear sighs. "I'm guessing those are your friends." The fire monkey places both fists on her hips. "No wonder why you didn't want them tagging along," she mumbles.

"Hey!" Sis yells, jumping on her four paws. "We got through that dungeon all by ourselves too you know!"

"I thought you two were asleep," Shadow growls.

I scratch the back of my head. "Well, it was more like one of us being asleep." I giggle a little thinking of my excuse for being awake. "I was kind of checking for food the last few nights, remember?" The mouse stares blankly at me before placing a paw to his face.

"And just who are you?!" Sis asks the red stranger.

The pansear raises a paw to her chest. "I'm the escort. My name's Blaze, dancer of Glass Isle." She glares at the purple monkey currently writing on a piece of paper. "I'm here to find out why this city has begun turning itself upside down."

Sis growls at Blaze, but keeps her tone non-hostile. "And how did your little group find its way here?"

"Didn't you humans find the hidden switch on the abandoned scrollshelf?" Sis shakes her head. "Huh. Well, there's a hidden switch on the abandoned scrollshelf at the scrollstore. Apparently it leads all the way to this room."

Blaze bends her knees as she turns toward the ambipom "Now let's get this over with."

Shadow's ears quickly droop as the twin-tailed monkey smiles. The ambipom flings the written paper at the mouse, who sidesteps with a little help of a quick attack.

The paper then turns around midflight. Shadow tries to back away from the paper, but loses his balance when a hind paw snags on the edge of his cloak. He falls backwards, and the paper lands next to his hind paws.

The pikachu quickly backs away from the paper, its writing now glowing teal. He gets back on all fours, staring at the writing with wide, frightened eyes.

Blaze takes advantage of the moment. Close to the ambipom, she twirls her hind paws to move from the side to behind the purple monkey. Once in position, she jumps in the air and backflips, her paws and feet glowing a light silver. Her attack would have hit if the ambipom didn't quickly unwind his tail. The twin hand-shaped ends intercept the attack and absorb the impact.

The pansear pushes away from the attack, but not before she spins around and kicks a tail. If that did any damage, the ambipom doesn't show it.

A thin line of electricity comes his way. He quickly defends by once again intercepting the attack with the ends of his twin tails in a cross formation.

The thundershock attack retreats as Shadow races behind the ambipom. He holds his paws out and creates a sparking ball of electrical energy. His cheeks begin to spark and he flinches as the attack causes a miniature explosion before it's released.

"Activate the escape orb." I turn to see Sis, who managed to quietly take out the wonder orb from the bag in all the chaos.

"What are you doing?" I whisper, quickly glancing back and forth between her and the settling smoke from the explosion.

The orb hovers over Sis's paws in a cyclone of light blue and gray. "I'm getting us out of here," she hisses back. "Letting you go through a mystery dungeon was borderline, but sticking around for this? Definitely not. No way in—"

' _ACTIVATION REQUEST RECEIVED. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACTIVE THE…_ escape… _ORB?'_ says the loud voice of the orb, which turns the ambipom's attention to us.

Sis pushes my closer. "He…he," she tries to laugh. "Yes?"

It's enough to activate the escape orb. Its colors dim as it crack, and I cover my eyes from the light.

Nothing happens. I open my eyes, and find myself in the same room with Sis right next to me. "It could have been a dud," I say.

The ambipom chuckles, ignoring another one of Blaze's backflips that still hits the ends of his crossed tails. "I've already taken those precautions with a rift orb earlier," he says in practically a whisper, but can still be easily heard. "You two must have accidently wandered into range when it activated. Not surprising, since you were probably following your…hehe…friend."

He walks over to the area with smoke still fading. I can make out the outline of Shadow on all fours, but he doesn't retaliate against the enemy. A few feet away from the mouse, the monkey smiles. "By now you're most likely wondering why you can't control your electrical energy right now. It's actually rather interesting. I took years figuring out that rune circle, and how ironic the first true test is on the very subspecies—"

He's interrupted when he gets a face-full of water. He turns to see Blaze standing on the tip of one paw and her arms outstretches. Strangely enough, water droplets hover nearby. "Take this, Temporal!" she screams as she jumps and backflips. As she does so, the droplets fling at the ambipom. He swings his twin tails at each droplet, hitting most of the attacks.

"Let me guess. You're a child of one of those sea legends. I'm willing to bet on Manaphy." Temporal glares at Blaze. Meanwhile, Sis taps my shoulder.

"Lugia actually." Blaze glares back. "And as one of the half-breeds of Glass Isle, I can't let you destroy this city!" Another movement summons more droplets, and another movement flings them.

The ambipom thrusts his tail ends forward, but doesn't cross them this time. He doesn't need the defense; the droplets dissipate into the air long before they hit. Blaze widens her eyes.

"I will admit Blaze, you are a skilled dancer. I would argue your dancing skills surpass those of the most advanced island marowaks. But you are not a fighter. How do you think our combat skills compare, especially knowing I was assigned to lead and terminate this island by the Pokémon Queen herself?"

The pansear still attacks using the water droplets. They don't dissipate like last time, but Temporal still swipes and hits most of the attacks. "Very well then."

It's at that moment when Sis and I strike. He didn't notice us two sneaking around behind his back as he and Blaze talked. From the left, I nod to Sis on the right.

I charge forward, getting within the ambipom's line of sight. "Hello!" I yell, giggle at little as I do so. Knowing I've caught his attention, I force as much energy into my eyes as possible, and give him the biggest leer attack I can manage.

I quickly change the energy to go to my paws and dig into the ground while Sis charges from behind. Her tail unwinds and glows a sharp white as she uses a scratch attack that collides with the monkey's feet.

I dig above ground at an angle, poking my head out. I realize I'm underneath the table and a little too short. I dig a little further and push myself out of the ground, charging at the ambipom like a torpedo.

The impact causes Temporal to back up a step or two before he swipes with his twin tails. I get caught holding onto the end, and get flown off when Sis gets hit too. She covers for me as her back hits the bookshelf.

I get up as soon as I can. "Sis! Are you okay?" I ask.

She stumbles as she gets up. "Never better." She chuckles, "See, what did I tell you? Maneuver B did work."

"You said maneuver G's next. What's maneuver G again?"

She shakes her head. "Wait just a little bit longer. I'll tell you when it's time." She winces as I help her up when she stumbles again. I glance back and forth between her and the battle.

Blaze flings more droplets as she charges at Temporal. When he starts swiping at the water, she jumps and grabs onto one of his tail ends. When the tail swings back, she backflips and lands a charged hit on the ambipom's head.

Temporal's twin tails fling around wildly as he scrambles backwards. The pansear ends up getting caught on one of the tail ends and gets sent flying, smashing into another bookshelf. Both adversaries pant as they glare at one another, though Blaze definitely looks more worn out. She throws one more droplet, but it dissipates long before reaching its target.

Another droplet forms beside her, but it isn't immediately thrown this time. Blaze holds out her paws towards the droplet as it grows. With a thrust of Temporal's tail, the water orb starts to shrink. Both grit their teeth as the water fluctuates between growing and shrinking.

Neither side appears to win the mental war until Blaze throws her arms to the side, the water orb flinging itself at Temporal. The ambipom stumbles, quickly crossing his tail ends.

Blaze recovers from a moment of panting and runs behind her attack. As the tail absorbs the impact of the water orb, she jumps, her feet charged with energy and ready to land a kick to the ambipom.

Temporal quickly turns a full three-sixty degrees around, slamming a paw on the ground as his tails, now glowing with energy, violently follows the movement. Blaze does not have enough time to evade to attack, and takes the hit full-force. The pansear smashes into a bookshelf, and remains laying on the floor. "Two down, and two to go," the ambipom mutters, turning towards Sis and I.

Sis steps forward. "Okay Nova. When I say now, we're going to use Maneuver G." I perk my ears. "When I give the signal, we'll both be going as fast as we can in opposite directions. I'll be going forward, and you'll be going back."

My eyes widen. "Sis," I hesitate to say as I take a short step forward. "Going back means going to the bookshelf." I hold my breath waiting for her response.

"If you can't go back, then go in the direction furthest away from your older sister. And make sure to go as fast as possible. Find a way to get out of the dungeon if you can. Just follow the plan.

"NOW!" she shouts before I can object more, racing towards Temporal with her tail unwound. I back away towards the opening as she ducks under a swipe of the ambipom's twin tails. Once within range, she slashes upwards with her tail charged with a shadow claw attack, hitting Temporal in the face.

The monkey falls to the ground on impact, but soon gets back up, completely unscathed by the attack. He lands a blow to Sis by thrusting his tails before dashing towards the table. She quickly follows, racing towards the table's opposite end, eyes trained on her opponent. They circle the obstacle, waiting for the first charge.

Sis moves first, frantically crawling underneath the table. Her tail repeatedly jabs in multiple directions between the furniture's legs. After blocking a few hits using his tail ends, Temporal climbs on top of an area of the table not flooded with paper near the edge. Without a target, Sis's tail retreats out of view.

With both opponents at a standstill, I take an unsteady step forward. I catch a glare from underneath the table and retreat four steps back. It lands me with my back pressed halfway against the opening's edge.

I jump, turning towards the escape route. I look back to the table, where the Sis's disadvantage soon becomes clear. Temporal picks up a stack of papers, dropping them on the floor. At the sound, Sis scurries out from under the table in the other direction. She frantically backtracks the other way when a fist-like tail slams the ground in front of her.

My hind paws get the urge to go back further, to run away. My fur stands on edge at the idea of moving forward. I reach for a book, but I can't find the strength to throw it. My breaths becoming more rapid, I glace at the opening again. I immediately shut my eyes and shake my head.

Still, I can't charge forward. I look around the room, at the ceiling light, at the uneven floor, and at the bookshelves, both fallen and intact. I creep behind the nearest knocked-over bookshelf, poking my head towards the fight.

During the time, Temporal placed three more paper stacks on the floor. Sis winces, but doesn't move, as a fifth stack lands on the ground. She's now left with a few spots to run out from under the table. A sixth stack is placed. And a seventh. Now she's completely blocked in from all ends.

Temporal hops off the now empty table. "That should do the trick," he mumbles.

A tail enveloped in white energy from a scratch attack rips through one of the paper stacks. Sis races past the newly-made opening and scurries onto the table. "I'm not down yet!" she yells.

The monkey lets out a low growl. "That's it," he snarls. A tail end grabs a book from the shelf behind him, placing it in his real paws. He opens the front cover and pulls out a piece of paper and an ink-covered branch. He swiftly scribbles on the paper.

"Oh no you don't," Sis mutters before dashing forward. The tail ends still swipe at her when she closes in. She ducks under the first attack and quickly backtracks out of range. She circles the ambipom instead of charging forward again, her tail slowly twirling in the same pattern. She slows to a stop, crouching on the ground, waiting to pounce.

Her tail shoots forward, crashing into an oncoming tail end. Sis takes the opportunity to race under the obstacle. She banks sharply to the left, avoiding the thrust of the other tail. Once in range, she thrusts her tail forward, aiming for the paper.

The attack doesn't land. At a glance of the situation, Temporal frantically backs away, his eyes squeezed shut. His twin tails slam repeatedly on the ground, knocking into the oncoming attack, and catching Sis's tail too. The sudden force knocks Sis off balance.

Sis charges a scratch attack as she tries to flick her tail upwards. With the action, the ambipom takes a look at the situation. He glances back and forth between Sis and the paper, then smirks as he finishes writing. Once completed, he flings it at Sis, quickly lifting his tails once it lands on her head.

She quickly shakes off the paper, getting back into a fighting stance. "Ha. That had no effect," she smirks.

Her smile fades when Temporal remains grinning. "Wait for it. This particular rune circle takes a while to come into effect."

Suddenly, Sis grits her teeth as she squeezes her eyes shut. She opens an enraged eye at the ambipom, who twists his tails back into their original position. "That took shorter than expected. I guess it's true that you are a human?"

He picks up the flung paper. "You're probably wondering why it's taking all your strength to control your core. It's just the work of this complex little rune circle right here. It gathers the surrounding time energy to temporarily reverse the control of a Pokémon's internal energies."

Temporal circles the room. "In Plain Footprint, it's based entirely on the energy use of a pichu. The electric mouse subspecies has a habit of electrocuting themselves constantly. It's mainly because the energy cores in their cheeks are not fully developed enough to allow a controlled energy flow until evolution. That's why a single thundershock can end up electrocuting the entire body. As a result, a pichu's electrical attacks take immense concentration to accurately perform.

"This rune circle reverses the core's buildup. A core develops when energy is repeatedly transferred, which allows a Pokémon to use more advanced techniques while reducing the energy usage, so the core needs to be stronger every time a move is learned. When the techniques exceed the core's capacity, a Pokémon has to sacrifice movement to keep their energy contained.

"The technique is far more effective than a paralysis seed, and will definitely give The Pokémon Queen the power to quell rebellions almost instantly. If she will allow the formation of a rune circle on a larger scale, that is."

He smiles fondly at the paper. "After so many years of research, I can present my findings. All I have to do is complete this assignment, and all my hard work will be rewarded. I'm sure capturing a traitor and his team will make life even better."

Temporal begins to pace back and forth. "That reminds me; there was that other human too. Quiet interesting that there are two humans at once, even if neither would hold a wax flame to anymon in a fight," he mumbles, heading towards the opening.

I peek out from my hiding spot, scanning to room for anything useful. My gaze lands on a piece of paper, one of the ones Temporal used to restrain the rest of the team. Checking to make sure I'm not in the ambipom's sight range, I crawl on top of the fallen bookshelf.

Once near the edge, I glance at the purple monkey still unaware of my presence, hesitating to move my front paw forward. I look to my teammates, gritting their teeth from the pain. With a rapid breath in, I shut my eyes as I press my front paw onto the floor.

I hear the dooming splash of water under my paw.

My ears droop as I see the ambipom turn his head towards the sound. "Speaking of the other human…" He grins while unraveling his twin tails once more.

I break free from my petrification to back away from the swipe of a tail end. I dodge the other the same way, but squeal as my hind paws find thin air. Even though short, the fall sends me on my back. I scurry to my feet, retreating until my back is against a bookshelf.

I look towards my sister again, who squeezes her eyes shut and grits her teeth. I wince at the sight. My frantic breathing slows down and I feel a low rumble from my throat that I want to get out and direct at the enemy ape. I close my eyes, focusing on tapping into my core energy. It's faint, but I'll just have to make due.

I force a chunk of the energy to flow to my eyes. I open them, glaring at the ambipom as I unleash the leer attack, charging forward on all fours soon after.

I find myself slammed back to the bookshelf as a tail end deflects my charge. I shake my head, racing forward once more. It's the same results.

Again I try, and again I fail before I can get within striking distance. I gasp at the final impact, the blur in my vision growing as my paws fail to respond. I feel a sharp pain across my chest.

I see Temporal pull out another blank piece of paper. My breath suddenly quickens. I try to get a response from my paws once more. They only twitch.

The sound of scribbling makes my ears stiffen, but it does nothing to help me get moving. After nothing more happens, I close my eyes.

A thought flickers by. _I'm not going to sit back and let the baddies win_ , a child's voice echoes. I catch the thought, smiling at the words I used to repeat. The scribbling sound reminds me of Sis, unable to do anything.

My eyes snap open. My paws squirm on my command and nothing more. I focus past the blurs and glance around the room. My gaze falls on the hole in the ground. My mouth twitches upwards.

I reach for my core, pouring the energy to my paws. The pain in my head grows as I do so, but I continue on. There's only a spark left by the time my muscles can act.

I fight to stand. "I won't let you win," I hiss as I claw my paws against the ground, the floor giving way from the ground energy.

Burrowed under the ground, I follow the sounds of scribbling from above, but the noise quickly fades away. I stop, panting as I notice the fading energy in my paws. I force a flicker of energy from my core to them, causing me to stumble. I get back up, reaching for the ceiling of the tunnel.

I pull back, shaking my head.

I gulp, slowing my gasping as my ears perk. I can't hear any sign of Temporal's location. My breath quickens, my paws urging me to dig upwards. If I can just make sure I know where I'm going…

I shake my head, forcing my breath to slow. I focus on my paws, sensing the internal radar from using the dig attack. With my ears twitching, I proceed forward.

I stop, looking up at the ceiling. I spring upwards, tearing through the floor, hitting the ambipom in the back. The impact sends him plowing face-first to the ground, with me rolling backwards.

I get back up, crawling to the unmoving monkey. I tap one of the hand-like tail ends. No response. I back away, my ears instantly sagging. I feel something press against my back.

I shriek, turning around to face the round table. I stare at the stacks of papers blocking me from both sides, a chill running up my spine. "Sis," I mumble, peeking past the stack. She's collapsed on the ground, completely unconscious. My breath quickens at the eerie silence of the room.

My feet give in on me, my grip on the table being the only thing keeping me from falling to the ground. I grasp for my core energy for more strength, and soon gasp. I can't feel anything. I feel some liquid on me. When I look at the table edge, I can see a red droplet.

A stabbing pain racks my brain, and all goes black.


End file.
